Table of Contents
List of speakers of the Louisiana House of Representatives
The Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives holds a pivotal role as the presiding officer of the lower house of the Louisiana State Legislature. Nominated traditionally by the Governor of Louisiana, the Speaker wields significant influence, overseeing sessions, adjudicating points of order, and making committee assignments, often in alignment with gubernatorial preferences. Acting as a key ally to the Governor, the Speaker functions as a crucial figure in advancing legislative agendas, negotiating bills, and leading the Governor’s supporters in the House. With control over the legislative flow and serving as an ex officio member of all House committees, the Speaker occupies a central position in the state’s governance, ranking sixth in the line of gubernatorial succession.
History
Pierre Bauchet St. Martin became the first speaker in 1812, marking the start of a political era in Louisiana. Initially, supporters of Henry Clay wielded influence, but by 1845, the Democratic Party took the reins until the Civil War. Reconstruction saw Republican dominance from 1865 to 1877, followed by a Democratic resurgence until 2010. During this period, the tradition of the Governor appointing the speaker emerged. Notably, in 2008, Governor Bobby Jindal broke a century-old trend by appointing a Republican speaker despite Democratic control. In 2016, Democrat John Bel Edwards’s assumption of the governorship saw a clash with the Republican-led House, which elected Taylor Barras over Edwards’s choice, Walt Leger III.
Term length
Inaugural
Formation
Succession
Appointer
Four years
Pierre Bauchet St. Martin
1812
6th
Louisiana House of Representatives
Incumbent
Phillip DeVillier
since January 8, 2024
Powers
List of the Speakers
| Speaker | Terms of Office | Parish | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre Bauchet St. Martin | 1812 | German Coast | Democratic-Republican |
| Stephen A. Hopkins | 1813 | Acadia | Democratic-Republican |
| Magloire Guichard | 1814-1817 | Orleans | Democratic-Republican |
| David C. Ker | 1819–1820 | Orleans | Democratic-Republican |
| Armand Beauvais | 1820–1822 | Pointe Coupee | Democratic-Republican |
| Andre B. Roman | 1822–1826 | St. James | National Republican |
| Octave LaBranche | 1827–1828 | St. Charles | Jacksonian |
| Andre B. Roman | 1828–1830 | St. James | National Republican |
| Alexandre Mouton | 1831–1832 | Lafayette | Democratic |
| Alcée Louis la Branche | 1833–1837 | St. Charles | Democratic |
| Joseph Marshall Walker | 1837–1838 | Rapides | Democratic |
| Guillaume Louis DeBuys | 1839–1841 | Orleans | Whig |
| William C. C. Claiborne, II | 1842–1843 | Orleans | Whig |
| Charles Derbigny | 1843–1844 | Jefferson | Whig |
| Antoine Boudousquie | 1845 | St. John the Baptist | Whig |
| David A. Randall | 1846 | Ascension | Democratic |
| Preston W. Farrar | 1847–1850 | Orleans | Whig |
| E. Warren Moise | 1850 | Plaquemines | Democratic |
| John Edward King | 1852 | St. Landry | Whig |
| E. Warren Moise | 1853 | Plaquemines | Democratic |
| John M. Sandidge | 1854–1855 | Bossier | Democratic |
| William W. Pugh | 1856–1859 | Assumption | Democratic |
| Charles H. Morrison | 1860 | Ouachita | Democratic |
| Adolphus Oliver (Confederate) | 1861–1863 | unknown | Democratic |
| Joseph Barton Elam (Confederate) | 1863–1864 | De Soto | Democratic |
| Simeon Belden (Union) | 1864–1865 | St. Martin | Republican |
| Duncan S. Cage | 1865–1867 | Terrebonne | Republican |
| Charles W. Lowell | 1868–1869 | Caddo | Republican |
| Mortimer Carr | 1870–1871 | Orleans | Republican |
| George W. Carter | 1871 | Cameron | Republican |
| O. H. Brewster | 1872 | Ouachita | Republican |
| Charles W. Lowell | 1873–1874 | Caddo | Republican |
| Louis A. Wiltz | 1875 | Orleans | Democratic |
| Michael Hahn | 1875 | St. Charles | Republican |
| E. D. Estilette | 1875–1876 | St. Landry | Democratic |
| Michael Hahn (Packard) | 1877 | St. Charles | Republican |
| Louis Bush | 1877–1878 | Orleans | Democratic |
| John Conway Moncure | 1879–1880 | Caddo | Democratic |
| Robert N. Ogden | 1880–1884 | Orleans | Democratic |
| Henry W. Ogden | 1884–1888 | Bossier | Democratic |
| Samuel P. Henry | 1888–1892 | Cameron | Democratic |
| George Washington Bolton | 1892–1896 | Rapides | Democratic |
| Samuel P. Henry | 1896–1900 | Cameron | Democratic |
| Jared Y. Sanders, Sr. | 1900–1904[1] | St. Mary | Democratic |
| Robert H. Snyder | 1904–1906 | Tensas | Democratic |
| Joseph W. Hyams | 1906–1908 | West Baton Rouge | Democratic |
| Henry Garland Dupré | 1908–1910 | Orleans | Democratic |
| Lee Emmett Thomas | 1912–1916 | Caddo | Democratic |
| Hewitt Leonidas Bouanchaud | 1916–1920 | Pointe Coupee | Democratic |
| R. F. Walker | 1920–1924 | East Feliciana | Democratic |
| J. Stuart Douglas | 1924–1926 | Caddo | Democratic |
| William Clark Hughes | 1926–1928 | Bossier | Democratic |
| John B. Fournet | 1928–1932 | Jefferson Davis | Democratic |
| Allen J. Ellender | 1932–1936 | Terrebonne | Democratic |
| Lorris M. Wimberly | 1936–1936 | Bienville | Democratic |
| Ralph Norman Bauer | 1940–1948 | St. Mary | Democratic |
| Morris Lottinger, Sr. | 1948–1950 | Terrebonne | Democratic |
| Lorris M. Wimberly | 1950–1952 | Bienville | Democratic |
| Clarence C. “Taddy” Aycock | 1952–1956 | St. Mary | Democratic |
| Lorris M. Wimberly | 1956–1957 | Bienville | Democratic |
| Robert Joseph “Bob” Angelle | 1957–1960 | St. Martin | Democratic |
| J. Thomas Jewell | 1960–1964 | Pointe Coupee | Democratic |
| Vail M. Delony | 1964–1967 | East Carroll | Democratic |
| John S. Garrett | 1968–1972 | Claiborne | Democratic |
| E. L. “Bubba” Henry | 1972–1980 | Jackson | Democratic |
| John J. Hainkel, Jr. | 1980–1984 | Orleans | Democratic |
| John A. Alario, Jr | 1984–1988 | Jefferson | Democratic |
| Jimmy N. Dimos | 1988–1992 | Ouachita | Democratic |
| John A. Alario, Jr | 1992–1996 | Jefferson | Democratic |
| Huntington Blair “Hunt” Downer, Jr. | 1996–2000 | Terrebonne | Democratic |
| Charles W. “Charlie” DeWitt, Jr. | 2000–2004 | Rapides | Democratic |
| Joe Reece Salter | 2004–2008 | Sabine | Democratic |
| James Wayne “Jim” Tucker | 2008–2012 | Jefferson | Republican |
| Charles Edward “Chuck” Kleckley | 2012–2016 | Calcasieu | Republican |
| Taylor Francis Barras | 2016–2020 | Iberia | Republican |
| Clay Schexnayder | 2020–2024 | Ascension | Republican |
| Phillip DeVillier | 2024– | St. Landry | Republican |
List of Speakers Pro Tempore
| Speaker pro tempore | Terms of Office | Parish | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth J. Leithman | 1972–1980 | Jefferson | Democratic |
| Frank P. Simoneaux | 1980–1982 | East Baton Rouge | Democratic |
| Raymond Laborde | 1982–1984 | Avoyelles | Democratic |
| Joseph A. Delpit | 1984–1988 | East Baton Rouge | Democratic |
| Huntington Blair “Hunt” Downer | 1988–1992 | Terrebonne | Democratic |
| Sherman Copelin | 1992–1996 | Orleans | Democratic |
| Peppi Bruneau | 1996–2004 | Orleans | Republican |
| Sharon Weston Broome | 2004–2005 | East Baton Rouge | Democratic |
| Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb | 2005–2008 | East Baton Rouge | Democratic |
| Karen Carter Peterson | 2008–2010 | Orleans | Democratic |
| Joel Craig Robideaux | 2010–2011 | Lafayette | Independent |
| Joel Craig Robideaux | 2011–2012 | Lafayette | Republican |
| Walter John “Walt” Leger, III | 2012–2020 | Orleans | Democratic |
| Tanner Magee | 2020–2024 | Terrebonne | Republican |
| Michael T. Johnson | 2024– | Rapides | Republican |
