Richard Alvin Tonry

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Richard Alvin Tonry (born June 23, 1935), is a former Louisiana politician affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Tonry was born in New Orleans. He graduated from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, in 1962. He earned a law degree from Loyola University of New Orleans in 1967. He practiced law in the New Orleans area for almost a decade before being elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1975.

Shortly after taking his state house seat, Tonry announced his candidacy for Louisiana's 1st congressional district after 36-year incumbent F. Edward Hébert announced his retirement. He narrowly defeated Republican Bob Livingston, an assistant state attorney general, in one of the last elections held before Louisiana adopted its jungle primary.

However, Tonry faced allegations of illegal campaign contributions and "tombstone voting" during both his primary and general election campaigns. The House of Representatives was reluctant to expel Tonry, but there was heavy pressure from all quarters for him to resign. He did so in May, but immediately jumped into the special election race for his own vacancy. Although he told his House colleagues to keep his seat warm, he lost the primary to one of his former colleagues in the state legislature, Ron Faucheux. Faucheux went on to lose the special election to Livingston, who became the first Republican to represent New Orleans since Reconstruction.

In 1978, Tonry was found guilty of 11 counts of misusing campaign funds. He was sentenced to one year in prison but never served.

Preceded by Felix Edward Hebert

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st congressional district 1977

Succeeded by Bob Livingston