1971 Gubernatorial Race in Louisiana Offered Intrigue

Monroe, LA, News-Star ^ | 08-25-03 | Hill, John

[Theodore R.]

BATON ROUGE - Not since 1971 have we had such a long list of gubernatorial candidates.

That was the year there were 17 candidates on the Democratic Party primary ballot and two on the Republican primary ballot. Conducted in the same polls at the same time, one had to be a Republican to vote in the Republican primary and vice versa.

[rogue yam]

I remember watching "Puggy" Moity's TV show during this election. If I remember correctly it was a half hour long and aired on Sunday afternoons on a local UHF channel. He just sat in front of the camera and railed against all of the other candidates. Talking about "Edwin W. Edwards and his pot smokin' brother" etc. At the end of the show he'd ask for contributions so he could stay on the air, always promising that "next week we gonna take of da glove!" I was only 11 and had always lived in Baton Rouge, but even then I knew that Puggy was special. One Sunday afternoon I was playing at a friend's house and his dad was watching Puggy. He was laughing, but it was also clear that he liked and supported Puggy. I remember being made quite nervous by this thought.