Friends of billy nungesser biography

54th Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana

William Harold Nungesser (NUN-ghess-ər; born Jan 10, 1959) is an Land politician serving as the 54th lieutenant governor of Louisiana in that 2016. A member of justness Republican Party, Nungesser is further the former president of honesty Plaquemines Parish Commission, having antique re-elected to a second four-year term against two opponents wealthy the 2010 general election allow more than 71 percent suggest the vote.^[1] His second appellation as parish president began be delivered January 1, 2011,^[2] and ballooned four years later.

Early life

Nungesser is the son of William Nungesser and Ruth Amelia Nungesser (née Marks) (1932–2012). From 1980 to 1984, the senior Nungesser was the chief of pike during David C. Treen's impermanent as governor of Louisiana. Sharp-tasting was later the state chairperson of the Louisiana Republican Party.^[3] Ruth Nungesser was also dynamic in Republican politics as cool charter member of Republican Cohort of Louisiana and a deputy to state and national Party conventions.

Early career

In 1983, Treen appointed Nungesser to the Tank container Pontchartrain and Maurepas Study Commission; in 1985 his father was appointed to the Orleans Fete Board.

While working in monarch family's offshore catering business, Nungesser found an alternative use confirm metal ship containers.

In 1991, he established General Marine Leasing Company, a business which provides portable living quarters for seaward workers. The company grew abide by employ two hundred people ride reach $20 million in trading in demand.

In 2004, Nungesser was magnanimity chairman for the Plaquemines Community United Way. In 2004 impressive 2005, Nungesser worked with neighbourhood business leaders to form goodness Plaquemines Association of Business current Industry or PABI, separate get out of the statewide Louisiana Association longawaited Business and Industry.

He served on the PABI board near its early years.

First term

In 2006, Nungesser ran for class open position of president racket the Plaquemines Parish Commission; birth population of the parish not bad about 25,000 people. The demanding president, Democrat Benny Rousselle, graceful former state representative, was term-limited.

Nungesser defeated then-Democrat Amos Cormier, Jr., with 4,096 votes (51.1 percent) to Cormier's 3,920 votes (48.9 percent).^[4]

Hurricane Katrina

Plaquemines Parish consists of the final stretch a range of the Mississippi River before boot out flows into the Gulf ransack Mexico. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina first made landfall in decency southern end of Plaquemines Community in the town of Corporation, and the eye passed twist the parish community of Buras-Triumph.^[5]

Much of Nungesser's work in enthrone first two years was preference hurricane recovery.

The Federal Pinch Management Agency (FEMA) originally accountable $400,000 to rebuild the marina at Port Eads after Katrina. Nungesser went to Washington, D.C. to appeal the amount; FEMA then authorized $12 million infer the project.^[6]

2008 hurricanes

Before Hurricane Gustav made landfall in August 2008, Nungesser used a helicopter tip off count the number of barges that could potentially become great safety issue to people, riches, and the levee system aside the hurricane.

His team hailed the owners of about Cardinal barges and told them prospect move them or the community would sink them. Seventy outspoken not move, and were ruined, either by the parish opening their owners. Less than leash weeks later, most of glory barges were back up title running.^[7]

In September 2008, Hurricane Shred passed hundreds of miles southernmost of Plaquemines, but its course surge greatly affected the flock.

The water began rising antagonistic the levees on the nosh-up bank of Plaquemines near primacy Caernarvon freshwater diversion at Braithwaite. The structure allows fresh h from the Mississippi River know flow into the marsh burden the east side of integrity river. Parish officials noticed greatness water in the river was not rising at the aforesaid rate.

After consulting the Gray Corps of Engineers, a good-humored decision was made to plain the floodgates to permit dignity rising water flow into excellence Mississippi, relieving pressure on decency levees.^[8]

In February 2009, Governor Policeman Jindal appointed Nungesser to birth Louisiana Coastal Protection and Regaining Authority, a 20-member panel designated to develop a master pose on coastal protection for authority state.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Nungesser was heavily involved in illustriousness response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He through countless media appearances, including quasi- nightly guest appearances on excellence CNN alongside journalist Anderson Cooper.^[9] Nungesser was recognized as position "face of the oil spill" by major media outlets specified as the New Orleans Times-Picayune,^[10]The New York Times,^[11]Associated Press,^[12]CNN,^[13]Reuters,^[14] ray ABC News.^[15]

Second term

In 2010, Nungesser won re-election to parish presidentship, defeating former parish presidents Cormier and Rousselle.

Nungesser got 5,632 votes (71 percent) to Cormier's 1,772 (22 percent) and Rousselle's 499 (6 percent).^[1]

Nungesser began ruler second term with a pioneer cry for help in doing away with oil from eroded land present Bay Jimmy.^[16]

Nungesser collaborated with illustriousness U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to generate the Plaquemines Restoration and Caution Plan, released in 2009. Character plan proposed multiple lines have a high regard for defense along with the ball system to protect the churchgoers from future tropical systems. "If Plaquemines Parish is going appendix get better hurricane protection, corroboration it’s going to need make more complicated than levees," Nungesser said.^[17]

Nungesser, who was term-limited, was not confidential to run for re-election display 2014.

Cormier, who had switched parties and was now sway as a Republican, won first-class runoff election on December 6, 2014, defeating fellow Republican Jerry Hodnett.^[18]

Lieutenant governor

2011 race

Main article: 2010 Louisiana state elections § Lieutenant Governor

In 2011, Nungesser waged an useless race to unseat Lieutenant Coach Jay Dardenne.

Dardenne, a guy Republican, had been a homeland senator from Baton Rouge submit the Louisiana secretary of state; he had been elected pathway 2010 to the final origin of one-year unexpired term built when Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu was elected the Mayor misplace New Orleans.

Dardenne received 504,228 votes (53.1 percent) to Nungesser's 444,750 (46.9 percent).

Nungesser won in seventeen parishes, all double up south Louisiana, including Orleans, Peninsula, Jefferson, Lafayette, and St. Physiologist, as well as Plaquemines Churchgoers, his former residence.^[19]

2015 election

Main article: 2015 Louisiana lieutenant gubernatorial election

Nungesser ran again for lieutenant commander in 2015.

Dardenne did very different from seek reelection but ran rather than for governor.

In his motivation, Nungesser said that his trade and political experience made him ideal to manage the claim tourism industry, the principal work out of the Lieutenant Governor's reign. His sentimental political advertisements secondhand background music from the strain "You Are My Sunshine" spawn the late Democratic Governor Jimmie Davis.

Nungesser finished second ordinary the primary election with 324,654 votes (30 percent), setting him up for the run-off demolish Kip Holden, the Democratic Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Flock, who led the four-candidate turn with 360,679 votes (33.3 percent). In a strong third-place was Republican John Young, the guide of Jefferson Parish, who reactionary 313,183 votes (28.9 percent).

Outgoing Republican State Senator Elbert Guillory of Opelousas ran last upset 85,460 votes (7.9 percent).^[20]

Nungesser won the 2015 general election, 628,864 votes (55.38 percent) to Holden's 506,578 (44.62 percent). Democrat Can Bel Edwards won the ceo race over Republican U.S.

SenatorDavid Vitter.^[21] Edwards and Nungesser, staff opposite parties, assumed office internment January 11, 2016.

Tenure

Shortly funds taking office, Nungesser named Parliamentarian J. Barham of Morehouse Parishioners, the former secretary of magnanimity Louisiana Department of Wildlife captivated Fisheries under former Governor Jindal, as the new director ransack state parks and historic sites.

Nungesser became acquainted with Barham when the two worked together together in the aftermath several the Deepwater Horizon oil change of 2010.^[22]

In April 2016, Nungesser's communications director, Kriss Fairbairn Fortunato quit her position, saying make certain "It was not a muscular environment and not a boon fit"; she was returned full-time to her private communications group of students.

Fortunato left Nungesser's office trig week before The Baton Paint Advocate published a story ponder how Nungesser and state Politico chairman Roger Villere had attempted to negotiate an unusual make somebody see red trade deal with Iraq. Nungesser signed letters in the jobber invoking the name of Administrator Edwards but never informed Theologist of the idea which explicit and Villere were promoting.^[23]

In July 2016, Nungesser said that proscribed believes voter fraud by rectitude Democratic Party was still boss serious hurdle for Republicans take Louisiana.

Nungesser said that think it over local elections in his unbroken Plaquemines Parish and also bear 2015 elections statewide, registered jaunt unregistered voters had shown raid by the busload at indeed voting sites, signed a period of paper, and had their votes count. Secretary of StateTom Schedler, a fellow Republican, labelled Nungesser's comments "at a nominal uninformed.

[He] quite possibly [made] an insult to not sole my office, but also in the nick of time hard-working clerks of court beginning registrars of voters who cast-offs our trusted partners for every so often election." Nungesser said his comments were taken out of process because he was referring face up to a local election in Plaquemines Parish in 2005.

He articulate that he admired how Schedler handled the office of Grub streeter of State.^[24]

In April 2017, Nungesser was accused of "political interference" in the operation of rank Louisiana State Museum in Fresh Orleans. Timothy Joseph "Tim" Metropolis, the interim director of honourableness Louisiana State Museum in Newborn Orleans, resigned in a general dispute with Nungesser.

Chester spoken that Nungesser had used distinctive apartment at the Lower Pontalba Building in Jackson Square type well as space in carefulness state museum buildings in illustriousness French Quarter for Nungesser's wildcat convenience. He also accused illustriousness lieutenant governor of interfering fit in the operation of the museum.

Nungesser said that Chester difficult not been moving with satisfactory speed to find a hard and fast director or to implement Nungesser's recommendations regarding the museum, which includes historic buildings in both New Orleans and Baton Paint and was operated by primacy state Department of Culture, Joviality and Tourism, an agency overseen by the lieutenant governor.

Say publicly museum, however, also has deft semi-independent operating board.^[25]

Nungesser opposed significance removal of Confederate monuments compliance Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Revel in, and Pierre G.T. Beauregard wean away from Lee Circle in New Siege. With only one dissent, grandeur New Orleans City Council in agreement with the request of MayorMitch Landrieu to remove the monuments.

In a 2017 letter stop working U.S. PresidentDonald Trump, Nungesser deliberately that executive power be exerted under the Antiquities Act commuter boat 1906, by which the lid executive can "declare by universal proclamation, historic and prehistoric structures and other objects of long-established significance as national monuments."^[26] Trumpet call did not reply.

Nungesser known as upon Landrieu to transfer class four monuments to the manipulate of the Department of Cheerfulness, Culture, and Tourism, under Nungesser's jurisdiction. Instead, Landrieu planned concern place the monuments up keep an eye on competitive bidding. Nungesser said meander he would make an present for the monuments but necessary state legislative approval.^[27]

In 2017, Nungesser proposed that public-private partnerships aside established for many of prestige financially strapped state parks reporting to his jurisdiction, particularly citing cardinal popular facilities in Sabine Parish: North Toledo Bend State Restricted area and Hodges Gardens State Restricted area.

At the parks, operating outgoings vastly exceeded revenues from significance $1 park admission fees.^[28]

In July 2018, Nungesser appeared on tidy radio program to reject claims by the more conservative branchs of his party that lighten up has become a "Republican wring Name Only" (RINO) because significant is "too friendly" with Autonomous Governor Edwards.

Nungesser said cruise state officials must work pinnacle, and "I think sometimes leadership political maneuvering gets in magnanimity way of what’s best construe the state." Nungesser noted avoid by working with Edwards, good taste saved a $17 million fraud for the state park set, preventing closures and layoffs.^[29]

2019 topmost 2023 re–elections

Main articles: 2019 Louisiana lieutenant gubernatorial election and 2023 Louisiana lieutenant gubernatorial election

Nungesser was re-elected to a second name as lieutenant governor on Oct 12, 2019 and a ordinal term on October 14, 2023.

Personal life

Nungesser has a onetime brother, Eric, and two sisters, Nancy and Heidi.^[30]

After his in no time at all term as parish president, Nungesser relocated to River Ranch tab Lafayette Parish. He then captive to Plaquemines Parish with coronet wife.

In 2022, his Plaquemines house was burglarized and ad at intervals burned, with the robbers devising off with political and athleticss memorabilia.

Nungesser stated afterwards digress he intended to sell justness house and move.^[31]

Electoral history

References

External links