Richard Burford

Richard Terry Burford, known as Richie Burford (born August 19, 1946), is a beef and dairy farmer from Stonewall, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 7, which encompasses southern Caddo, DeSoto, and Sabine parishes in the northwestern portion of the state. Burford is the first Republican to represent DeSoto Parish in the state legislature since Reconstruction. ^[1]

In 2015, he is a candidate for the Louisiana State Senate in District 38 to succeed the term-limited Republican Sherri Smith Cheek Buffington.

Political life

Prior to his legislative service, which began on January 14, 2008, Burford was one of eleven members of the DeSoto Parish Police Jury (the parish governing council), having represented District 3 since 1996. He is a member of the DeSoto Parish Chamber of Commerce. ^[2]

As a legislator, Burford pledged to support Blueprint Louisiana, a group which proposes reforms in the way Louisiana conducts its state government and promotes high technology and economic development. It is chaired by former State Representative Sean Reilly, an officer of Lamar Advertising Company in Baton Rouge.^[3]

2007 election

In the general election held on November 17, 2007, Burford 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 DeSoto Parish, and Democrats Hilda Fair Rives and John G. Russell, a bank executive.^[5] Burford succeeded term-limited Democrat Beverly G. Bruce, who was first elected in District 7 in 1995, when she defeated the Republican Tommy Gene 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]

2011 reelection

Burford easily won a second term in the House in the primary election held on October 22, 2011. He defeated the Democrat Cynthia "Cindy" Stephens Williams, 6,652 (68.9 percent) to 3,001 ballots (31.1 percent).^[8]

Democrat Kenny Cox, who lost to Burford in 2007, unseated Republican Representative Rick Nowlin of Natchitoches for the District 23 House seat in the general election held on November 19, 2011.^[8]

References