Harold B. McSween

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Harold Barnett McSween (July 19, 1926 – January 12, 2002) was a Louisiana businessman and politician who served in the now defunct Eighth Congressional District for two terms as a Democrat.

McSween was born in Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish and the largest city in Central Louisiana. He was the president of the Rapides Savings and Loan Association in downtown Alexandria. He had four children, John, Robert, Elizabeth, and Sally.

McSween was first elected in 1958 to succeed the late George S. Long, older brother of Huey Long and Earl Kemp Long. McSween then lost the 1960 Democratic congressional nomination to former Governor Earl Kemp Long. Earl Long died a few days later, and the Democratic State Central Committee named McSween the nominee for the November election after all. In that Republicans failed to offer a candidate, McSween was in the enviable but unlikely position of being unopposed for reelection even after having been denied renomination. Only in Louisiana, it was said, could a candidate lose his primary and win his general election without opposition!

On January 31, 1961, McSween joined a slim 217-212 majority to increase the size of the House Rules Committee to permit Speaker Sam Rayburn of Texas to add newer, more liberal members to the panel, which controls the flow of legislation in the chamber. This vote, also cast by McSween's colleague from Shreveport, Overton Brooks, angered conservatives in both parties.

In 1962, Gillis William Long unseated McSween in the Democratic primary. Long's views and voting record were virtually identical to those of McSween.

McSween later ran into legal problems in connection with his savings and loan.

In 2001, McSween was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield. McSween died in Alexandria. He is interred in Greenwood Memorial Park in Pineville.

Preceded by George S. Long (D)	United States Representative for the 1st Congressional District of Louisiana Harold Barnett McSween (D) 1959–1963	Succeeded by Gillis William Long (D)