Robert E. Barton

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Earl "Bob" Barton
Louisiana House of Representatives for District 8 (Bossier Parish)
In office
1996–2000
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Personal details
Born (1948-07-03) July 3, 1948 (age 73)
Panama City, Florida
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Jane Susan Kohlhaas Barton
ResidenceBenton, Bossier Parish, Louisiana, USA
Alma materBay High School

University of West Florida

Florida State University
OccupationNewspaper owner; Businessman
(1) Though he served only one term in the Louisiana House of Representatives, Barton was the first Republican to represent Bossier Parish in the state legislature in the 20th century. (2) In 1999, Barton ran a weak third in the District 37 state Senate race. The seat was retained in the general election by Republican .

Robert Earl Barton, known as Bob Barton (born July 3, 1948), is the first Republican to have served in the Louisiana House of Representatives for Bossier Parish since Reconstruction.

Background[]

Barton graduated from Bay High School in Panama City, Florida. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of West Florida at Pensacola and a master's degree from Florida State University in the capital city of Tallahassee. He served in the United States Army from 1970 to 1973. He has been affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce and Lions International. He is Roman Catholic.[1][2]

In 1986, while at the Ruston Daily Leader in Ruston in Lincoln Parish in North Louisiana, Barton purchased the weekly The Ouachita Citizen newspaper from Bert Hatten, a former mayor of West Monroe.[3]

Barton also formerly owned and published the Bossier Press (since the Bossier Press-Tribune) in Bossier City.[4] He is a past president of the Louisiana Press Association and held membership in the National Newspaper Association.

Barton and his wife, the former Jane Susan Kohlhaas, reside in Benton, the seat of government of Bossier Parish located north of Bossier City.[5]

Political life[]

Barton held the District 8 seat from 1996 to 2000.[6] The position opened when the 16-year incumbent, , ran for governor in the 1995 nonpartisan blanket primary. On October 21, 1995, Barton defeated the Democrat Bob G. Burford (1942–2009) in a low-turnout election, 5,416 votes (59.2 percent) to 3,740 (40.8 percent).[7]

Barton did not seek reelection in the 1999 primary but instead unsuccessfully challenged Republican State Senator of Shreveport. He finished in third place in a three-candidate field with 27.4 percent of the vote.[8]

Fellow Republican , the former Bossier Parish school superintendent, won Barton's seat without opposition from either party in the 1999 primary.

During the late 1990s, Barton was employed at Bossier Parish Community College in the role of assistant to the then chancellor, Tom Carleton.[9] Barton was also a teacher from 1973 to 1978. He is Roman Catholic.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ Information taken from former website enlou.com/officeholders, which provided short biographies of state legislators from Louisiana.[dead link]
  2. ^ "Louisiana: Barton, Robert E. (Bob)", Who's Who in American Politics, 2003-2004, 19th ed., Vol. 1 (Alabama-Montana) (Marquis Who's Who: New Providence, New Jersey, 2003), p. 769
  3. ^ "About The Ouachita Citizen". hannapub.com. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  4. ^ "History of Bossier Parish Newspapers". Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  5. ^ "Robert Earl Barton". intelius.com. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  6. ^ "Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2016" (PDF). house.louisiana.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  7. ^ "Election returns, State Representative, October 21, 1995". Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  8. ^ "Results for Election Date: 10/23/1999". staticresults.sos.la.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  9. ^ "Stephaan Harris, "After 20 years of service in Bossier Parish, Jane Smith leaves to be a state representative", November 26, 1999". Shreveport Times. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  10. ^ "Louisiana: Robert E. Barton", Who's Who in American Politics, 2007-2008 (Marquis Who's Who: New Providence, New Jersey, 2007), p. 657
Louisiana House of Representatives
Preceded by
 Louisiana State Representative for District 8 (Bossier Parish)
Robert Earl "Bob" Barton
1996–2000 		Succeeded by
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