| Anthony Richard "Tony" Perkins | |
|---|---|
| Louisiana State Representative from District 64 (East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes) | |
| In office 1996–2004 |
|
| Preceded by | Michael "Mike" McCleary |
| Succeeded by | Mack A. "Bodi" White, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 20, 1963 |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Lawana Lee Perkins |
| Alma mater | Liberty University (B.S.) Louisiana State University (M.P.A.) |
| Occupation | Politician Activist Journalist Police Officer |
| Religion | Baptist |
Anthony Richard "Tony" Perkins (born March 20, 1963) is president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian think tank and public policy foundation based in Washington, D.C. Perkins formerly resided in Baker in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, when he served two terms as a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
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Perkins was reared in Cleveland in Pawnee County in northern Oklahoma and graduated from Cleveland High School in 1981. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Science degree from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia and later earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Louisiana State University. After college, he entered the United States Marine Corps. Following his tour of duty, he entered the law enforcement arena, working for the Baton Rouge city police. During this time, he also worked with the U.S. State Department's Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program and instructed police officers from other countries.[1]
After leaving the law enforcement field, Perkins worked at WBTR-TV, an independent Baton Rouge television station as a reporter and later as news director.[1] He stayed there until his election to the legislature. He was elected on a "traditional" conservative platform of strong families and limited government. Four years later, he was reelected without opposition.
Perkins is married to the former Lawana Lee. He has been affiliated with the National Rifle Association, the American Legion, the Christian Coalition, and the Baton Rouge Rescue Mission.[1]
Perkins won his seat in the Louisiana House from District 64 (the eastern Baton Rouge suburbs, including part of Livingston Parish) in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 21, 1995, when he defeated the Democrat Herman L. Milton of Baker, 9,476 (63.3 percent) to 5,487 (36.7 percent). The Democrat incumbent, Michael "Mike" McCleary, did not seek reelection.[2] Representative Perkins thereafter authored legislation to require public schools to install Internet filtering software, provide daily silent prayer in Louisiana public schools, to establish the first covenant marriage law, and to authorize the American History Preservation Act, the stated aim of which is to "prevent censorship of America's Christian heritage" in public schools.[3]
In 1998, Perkins helped found Louisiana Family Forum, a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of his conservative social positions.[4] The organization is headed by executive director Gene Mills. Retired Judge Darrell White and former state Representative and state Senator Daniel Wesley "Dan" Richey serve as consultants to LFF.
Republican Perkins ran for the United States Senate in the 2002 Louisiana jungle primary and received a small percent of the vote. The seat remained in Democratic hands, as incumbent Mary Landrieu was reelected in the general election against Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell. After his primary defeat, Perkins endorsed Terrell.
In 2006, Perkins endorsed Louisiana Republican state Senator James David Cain of Beauregard Parish in Cain's unsuccessful challenge to fellow Republican Jim Donelon in the special election for state insurance commissioner held on September 30.
In September, 2007, Perkins endorsed Brian P. McNabb in the House District 69 all-Republican race, linking him to Bobby Jindal, the GOP front-runner for governor, and calling him a "fresh face with integrity".[5] Erich Ponti defeated McNabb in a general election runoff.
In 2009, Perkins endorsed Ken Blackwell of Ohio for chairman of the Republican National Committee, but the position went to Michael Steele, former lieutenant governor of Maryland, who left after a single two-year term.[6]
Perkins became the President of the conservative Christian Family Research Council, a political offshoot of James Dobson's Focus on the Family, in September 2003. He succeeded Ken Connor, who returned to Florida to practice law. In taking the Family Research presidency, Perkins abandoned his pending race for Louisiana state insurance commissioner. The incumbent, Democrat J. Robert Wooley, was then reelected over Perkins' endorsed choice, Republican former legislative auditor Dan Kyle. In 2006, Wooley resigned the position, and it was taken by his Republican first assistant, Jim Donelon.
FRC Radio is the broadcasting home of the Family Research Council. "Washington Watch Daily" is a ninety-second radio commentary by Tony Perkins featuring a conservative Christian perspective on the hottest issues of the day.[7] The daily broadcasts, along with show archives, can be listened to on the Christian audio streaming site Lightsource.com.
Perkins was one of the organizers and hosts of the 2005 Justice Sunday event organized by the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family, along with James Dobson and R. Albert Mohler, Jr., the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. The event was organized to mobilize the evangelical Christian base in putting pressure on Democrats to end the use of the filibuster to block the confirmation of nominees to the federal judiciary by U.S. President George W. Bush.
Perkins has urged Congress to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would define marriage as the union between one man and one woman in the United States. He has also criticized civil unions.[8] In Perkins' own words, from a July 21, 2006, column in the publication Human Events:
The definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman is rooted in the order of nature itself. It promotes the continuation of the human race and the cooperation of a mother and a father in raising the children they produce. This union can only be protected through amending the United States Constitution. If it's not, activists will continue using the courts to sell a five-legged dog. But as we say where I'm from in Louisiana, 'that dog won't hunt.'
Perkins' opposition to same-sex unions is shared by his former Louisiana legislative colleague, Heulette Fontenot, who as a state senator in 2001 secured passage of a bill to disallow domestic partnerships in Louisiana or to recognize such relationships approved in other states.[9]
In 2010, the Family Research Council—under Perkins' leadership—was classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.[10][11] FRC President Tony Perkins dismissed the hate group designation as the result of a political attack by a "liberal organization" and "the left's smear campaign of conservatives".[12]
While working as campaign manager for Louisiana state legislator Woody Jenkins in 1996, Tony Perkins paid former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke $82,000 for his mailing list, and then tried to hide involvement with Duke, sending payment to Duke through a third party. The campaign was fined $3,000 for trying to hide the payment. [13]
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| Louisiana House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Michael "Mike" McCleary |
Louisiana State Representative from District 64 (East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes)
Anthony Richard "Tony" Perkins |
Succeeded by Mack A. "Bodi" White, Jr. |