Steve Thompson (Louisiana politician)

Steve D. Thompson
Member of the Louisiana Senate from the 32nd district
In office 1988–1996
Preceded by	William B. Atkins
Succeeded by	Noble Ellington
Personal details
Born	December 15, 1935 Winnsboro, Franklin Parish Louisiana, USA
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	(1) Jeanette H. Thompson (divorced) (2) Sherrie Hardie Thompson (died 2014)
Children	James W. Thompson Laura Thompson Stepdaughter: Tiffany Danielle Foster
Alma mater	Winnsboro High School Louisiana State University
Occupation	Real estate agent

Steve D. Thompson (born December 15, 1935)^[1] is a real estate agent in Winnsboro, Louisiana, who served from 1988 to 1996 in the Louisiana State Senate from District 32,^[2] which encompasses all or parts of the seven parishes of Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, Franklin, LaSalle, Rapides, and Tensas.^[3]

Background

Thompson was a son of Walter T. "Slick" Thompson (1906-1961) and the former Ethel Parks (1910-2009), a native of rural Liddieville in Franklin Parish who spent fifty years as a classroom teacher for the Franklin Parish School Board. The couple is interred at New Winnsboro Cemetery, along with Steve Thompson's brother, William Parks "Billy" Thompson (1939-1998). He has another brother, Tommy Thompson of Shreveport and a sister, Betty Zane Williams of Baton Rouge.^[4] Thompson graduated from Winnsboro High School and attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.^[5]

Prior to his real estate business, he was involved in trucking.^[6] He received federal farm payments in the amount of $48,802 between 1995 and 2012, an average of less than $3,000 per year.^[7]

Thompson's first wife, Jeanette H. Thompson (born March 1934),^[1] of Winnsboro was a principal in Thompson Trucking.^[6]He has two children, James W. Thompson and Laura Thompson.^[8] From his second marriage to Sherrie Hardie Thompson (c. 1953-2014), the daughter of Oliver "Billie" Hardie (1926-2007) and Nell Wyles Hardie (born 1933) of Jonesville in Catahoula Parish,^[9] Thompson acquired a step-daughter, Tiffany Danielle Foster. Sherrie Thompson was a beauty contest winner, Miss Northwestern State University, and during the 1970s a legislative aide who also worked for then Governor Edwin Edwards and then Louisiana Secretary of State, Paul J. Hardy. Sherrie Thompson is interred along with her father at McFarlen-Gurie Cemetery in Jonesville, where she was reared. The Thompsons were living in Ferriday in Concordia Parish at the time of her death,^[10] but Steve Thompson is a registered voter in Precinct 16 in Franklin Parish.^[1]

Political life

Thompson unseated his fellow Democrat, William B. Atkins of Jonesville in Catahoula Parish, in the 1987 primary election with 21,576 votes (50.27 percent) in a four-candidate field. Atkins trailed with 15,988 (37.3 percent).^[11]Thompson won his second term in the 1991 primary with 26,840 votes *63 percent). David I. Patten, a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Catahoula Parish, trailed with 8,694 votes (20.4 percent).^[12]

As a senator, Thompson was the chairman of the Senate Local and Municipal Affairs Committee and served as well on the Agriculture and Finance panels.^[5]He did not seek a third term in 1995,^[13] when Noble Ellington of Winnsboro defeated fellow Democrat Roy Hebron of Ball in northern Rapides Parish to claim the seat.^[14]

References

1. "Steve Thompson, December 1935". Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
2. "Membership of the Louisiana State Senate, 1880-2011" (PDF). legis.state.la.us. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
3. "List of parishes in Senate District 32". Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
4. "Ethel Parks Thompson". findagrave.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
5. "Senator Steve D. Thompson". senate.legis.state.la.us. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
6. "Steve D. Thompson Trucking Company". bizapedia.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
7. "Farm Payments". farm.ewg.org. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
8. "Jeanette H. Thompson". peoplesearchnow.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
9. "Oliver "Billie" Hardie". findagrave.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
10. "Sherrie Hardie Thompson". The Natchez Democrat. April 29, 2014. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
11. "Primary election returns, October 24, 1987". Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
12. "Primary election returns, October 19, 1991". Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
13. "Louisiana primary election returns, October 21, 1995". Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
14. "General election returns, November 18, 1995". Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved December 14, 2014.