Long, Huey P.

Huey P. Long (1893–1935) was governor of Louisiana when he was elected to the Senate in 1930. Determined to prevent his lieutenant governor, whom he disliked, from taking over, Long delayed entering the Senate until 1932, after his preferred successor had been elected governor. This determination to control politics in Louisiana was typical of “the Kingfish,” as Long was called.

Long was a Democrat and a populist. He began his political career in 1918 as a member and later commissioner of Louisiana's railroad (or public service) commission, where he argued the consumers' case against [Page p304]the utilities. Unsuccessful in his first run for the governor's seat, he ran again and was elected in 1928. As governor, Long built roads and bridges, eliminated the poll tax, and provided free textbooks for schoolchildren. He also built a strong state organization through what many said was a combination of coercion and political favors. Even after he entered the U.S. Senate, Long continued to dominate Louisiana politics and government.

Senate Historical Office

Championing the poor against the interests of big business and the wealthy, Long had a strong appeal for a populace battered by the Depression. He supported the campaign of Franklin D. Roosevelt but later opposed the president's New Deal, believing that it was not radical enough. Instead, in 1934 he proposed a Share Our Wealth Society that would have put a limit on personal wealth and guaranteed a minimum income and homesteading allowance.

Regarded in Washington as an eccentric (he reportedly wore green pajamas to greet formal callers), Long was famous for his lengthy and colorful Senate filibusters.

Furious with Roosevelt for withholding patronage prizes, Long threatened to leave the Democratic Party, and in August 1935 he declared his candidacy for president. Before his campaign got under way, Long was assassinated on September 8, 1935, in the Louisiana state capitol in Baton Rouge. His son, Russell B. Long, served in the Senate from 1948 to 1987.