Richard Burford

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Richard T. "Richie" Burford
Louisiana State Representative from District 7 (Caddo and De Soto parishes)
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 14, 2008
Preceded by	Beverly G. Bruce
Member of De Soto Parish Police Jury
In office 1996 – 2008
Born	1946
Political party	Republican
Occupation	Beef and dairy farmer
Burford is the first Republican since Reconstruction to represent De Soto Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives.

Richard T. "Richie" Burford (born 1946) is a beef and dairy farmer who is a freshman Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 7 (southern Caddo and De Soto parishes in the northwestern portion of the state). He is the first Republican to represent De Soto Parish since Reconstruction. Burford resides in Stonewall in De Soto Parish. ^[1] Prior to his legislative service, which began on January 14, 2008, Burford was one of eleven members of the De Soto Parish Police Jury (the parish governing council), having represented District 3 since 1996. He is a member of the De Soto Parish Chamber of Commerce. ^[2] As a legislator, Burford is a pledged supporter of Blueprint Louisiana, an interest group which proposes reforms in the way Louisiana conducts its state government.^[3]

In the general election held on November 17, 2007, Burford handily defeated Democrat Kenny Ray Cox of Mansfield, 4,993 (63 percent) to 2,990 (37 percent) to win the House seat. ^[4]In the October 20 jungle primary, Burford and Cox led three other candidates, Republican Dennis Freeman, the since deceased mayor of Logansport in De Soto Parish, and Democrats Hilda Fair Rives and John G. Russell.^[5]Burford succeeded term-limited Democrat Beverly G. Bruce, who was first elected in District 7 in 1995, when she defeated the Republican Tommy G. Armstrong, 7,027 (53 percent) to 62,35 (47 percent). Bruce ran without opposition in both 1999 and 2003.^[6]

In an interview with the Shreveport Times, Burford cited ethics as among his legislative priorities: "I am certainly interested in seeing a good ethics package passed [and] the completion of Interstate 49 [and] Highway 3276, a connector between U.S. Highway 171 and I-49 in the Stonewall area. Fiscal responsibility and priority spending are big issues with me."^[7]

Political offices
Preceded by Beverly G. Bruce (D)	Louisiana State Representative from District 7 (Caddo and De Soto parishes) Richard T. "Richie" Burford (R) 2008–	Succeeded by Incumbent

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