Robert M. Marionneaux

Robert Mark Marionneaux, Jr., also known as Rob Marrionneaux (born October 7, 1968), is an attorney in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who served from 1996 to 2012 as a Democrat in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature. From 2000 to 2012, he was a member of the Louisiana State Senate.^[1]

Term-limited, Marrionneaux was ineligible to run again for the Senate in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 22, 2011. He was succeeded by his fellow Democrat Rick Ward, III.^[2]

Legislative career

From 1996 to 2000, Marionneaux served for a single term in the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 18, which encompassed Iberville, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana parishes.^[3] Marrionneaux's Senate District 17 include all or portions of East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, and West Baton Rouge parishes.^[1]

In the primary for the state Senate held on October 23, 1999, Representative Marionneaux led the Republican candidate, Tim Johnson, 18,204 votes (45.5 percent) to 12,502 (31.2 percent). A third candidate, Democrat Clyde Kimball, the husband of retired Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine D. Kimball, held the remaining 9,335 ballots (23.3 percent).^[4] Marionneaux narrowly won in the November 20 general election, 15,786 (50.8 percent) to Johnson's 15,266 (49.2 percent).^[5] The incumbent Republican state senator, Thomas A. Greene, did not seek reelection but ran instead unsuccessfully for governor.

In the 2003 primary, Johnson again challenged Marionneaux, but the incumbent handily prevailed, 27,845 votes (61.5 percent) to 13,204 (39.2 percent). A second Republican, John M. Evans, held the remaining 4,207 votes (9.3 percent).^[6] In 2007, Republicans did not offer a candidate against Marionneaux, who won a third Senate term with nearly 83 percent of the ballots cast.^[7]

Marionneaux is chairman of Senate Judiciary B, the committee which oversees the criminal justice system, including juvenile justice, the Louisiana Department of Corrections, and all issues related to gambling. He also serves on the (1) Senate and Governmental Affairs, (2) the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs, and (3) the Senate Technology committees.^[8]

On May 25, 2010, a Marionneaux proposal to ban smoking in all bars, casinos, and other gambling sites in Louisiana failed on an 8-4 vote to clear the House Health and Welfare Committee. The state already forbids smoking in restaurants.^[9]

Personal life

Marionneaux was born in Baton Rouge to Robert M. Marionneaux, Sr. (1937–1997),^[10] and the former Patricia Smith of Maringouin in Iberville Parish. He and his wife, the former Keely Williams, have one son, Robert M. Marionneaux, III. Marionneaux was reared on a small farm in Maringouin.^[11]

He graduated from Catholic High School of Pointe Coupee in New Roads in Pointe Coupee Parish. Marionneaux then attended Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, from which he received the Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. He was his discipline's representative on the LSU Student Council. He was elected president of the general college student body and was affiliated with Sigma Nu social fraternity. Thereafter, Marionneaux enrolled at historically black Southern University Law School in Baton Rouge, where he was on the dean's list and participated in law review. He was the first white person elected as a student representative at Southern and served as vice president of the law center student body.^[8] He is a member of the Pointe Coupee and Iberville chambers of commerce and the state and the 18th Judicial District bar associations.^[12]

Since 2001, Marionneaux has practiced in the firm, Unglesby & Marionneaux in Baton Rouge. He is affiliated with the American Trial Lawyers Association. Marionneaux has a cattle ranch at Grosse Tete.^[8] He lists his residence as Maringouin.^[13] Marionneaux is Roman Catholic.

Marionneaux was mentioned in 2011 as a potential Democratic opponent of Governor Bobby Jindal, but he did not seek the state's highest constitutional office.

References