Tom Greene (Louisiana Politician)

Thomas Alan "Tom" Greene
Louisiana State Senator for District 17 (Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana parishes)
In office 1992–2000
Preceded by	J. E. Jumonville, Jr.
Succeeded by	Robert Mark Marionneaux, Jr.[1]
Born	September 7, 1948 Place of birth missing
Political party	Democrat-turned-Republican
Spouse(s)	Cathy Castleman Greene
Children	Holland Greene Nader Craig Castleman Greene Jason Ellfors Greene Thomas Ryan Greene Boyd Owens Greene
Residence	Maringouin Iberville Parish Louisiana, USA
Alma mater	Louisiana State University
Occupation	Veterinarian; Rancher; Engineer
Religion	Christian
Note: Greene twice defeated state Senator J. E. Jumonville, Jr., who served from 1976 to 1992 and succeeded his father, who held the seat from 1968 to 1976.

Thomas Alan Greene, known as Tom Greene (born September 7, 1948), is a veterinarian and rancher from Maringouin in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, who served in the state Senate from 1992 to 2000. He narrowly won the general election of 1991 and prevailed comfortably in the nonpartisan blanket primary in 1995 as a Democrat. During his second term, he switched affiliation to Republican.

Greene did not seek a third term in the Senate in the 1999 primary.^[2] Instead, he unsuccessfully challenged fellow Democrat-turned-Republican Governor Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr., in the gubernatorial primary

Background[edit]

Greene graduated in 1966 from Fenton High School in the village of Fenton near Jennings in Jefferson Davis Parish.^[3] He received three degrees, Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.^[4] He was president of the College of Engineering student body in 1970 and from 1971 to 1974 was an electrical engineer.^[3]

Greene is a member of the American and Louisiana veterinary medical associations as well as the Louisiana Cattleman's and the International Brangus Breeders associations. He lists his religious affiliation as Christian. He and his wife, the former Cathy Castleman (born September 26, 1950), have four grown sons and a daughter.^[3]

Political life[edit]

In the 1991 nonpartisan blanket primary, then Democrat Greene narrowly trailed incumbent Democrat J. E. Jumonville, Jr., of rural Ventress in Pointe Coupee Parish, 20,077 votes (44.3 percent) to 21,286 (46.9 percent). Two other Democratic candidates split the remaining but important 9 percent of the vote.^[5] In the general election, Greene defeated Jumonville, who had served as a senator since 1976, by 685 votes, 25,523 (50.7 percent) to 24,838 (49.3 percent). J. E. Jumonville, Sr. (1919–1983) had also served in the position from 1968 to 1976.^[6]

In 1995, Greene defeated Jumonville again in a two-candidate primary race, 24,851 votes (57.6 percent) to 18,289 (42.4 percent).^[7]

Greene entered the governor's race in 1999 at the last minute and had no statewide campaign organization. His platform proposed that parents be given more control over their children's educations and that the state institute educational vouchers. He called for the elimination of the state's dependence on gambling. He proposed that the state find a balance between industry and the environment, and he urged greater disclosure of interest groups on state government.^[8] He finished the gubernatorial race with 35,424 votes (3 percent).^[1]

Greene's state Senate seat reverted to a Democrat, Robert Mark "Rob" Marionneaux, Jr. who defeated Tim Johnson, the Republican candidate. Marionneaux was term-limited in the 2011 elections.

District 37 is Democratic in part because it is 37 percent African American in voter registration. There are also unionized plant workers, sugar cane farmers, and government employees. There is a considerable Republican presence because the northwestern portion of East Baton Rouge Parish is included in the district. This area, known as "Central City", has been incorporated and is seeking to form its own independent school district. Though the whole district has grown at less than the statewide rate, the East Baton Rouge portion has grown nearly 5 percent during the first decade of the 21st century. The GOP is competitive in national races, but Democrats usually win the statewide contests.

References[edit]