Benny Rousselle
Benedict G. Rousselle, known as Benny Rousselle (born January 20, 1951), is a Realtor and an Independent politician from Plaquemines Parish in Greater New Orleans, Louisiana.
Benedict G. "Benny" Rousselle | |
|---|---|
| Louisiana House of Representatives District 105 (Jefferson, Lafourche, and Plaquemines parishes) | |
| In office 1996–1999 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Patti |
| Succeeded by | Ernest Wooton |
| President of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana | |
| In office 1999 – January 2, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Clyde Giordano |
| Succeeded by | Billy Nungesser |
| Member of the Plaquemines Parish Council | |
| In office 1987–1994 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 20, 1951 New Orleans, LA |
| Political party | Independent |
| Residence | Belle Chasse Plaquemines Parish Louisiana, USA |
| Alma mater | Belle Chasse High School University of New Orleans |
| Occupation | Realtor, Politician |
From 1996 to 1999, Rousselle served District 105 in the Louisiana House of Representatives, which then encompassed Jefferson, Plaquemines, and Lafourche parishes. From 1987-1994, he served on the Plaquemines Parish Council. After leaving the state House, Rousselle returned to the Plaquemines Parish government as its elected president from 1999 to 2007. He handily unseated incumbent parish president Clyde Giordano in the 1998 general election.
Rousselle graduated from Belle Chasse High School in Belle Chasse in Plaquemines Parish. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Orleans. He has been affiliated with the Plaquemines Parish Council on Aging and the Louisiana Association of Realtors. Rousselle is Roman Catholic.[1]
Plaquemines Parish is adjacent to the Algiers district (also known as Fifteenth Ward) of New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina struck Plaquemines Parish during Rousselle's second term as parish president. Katrina and related levee failures resulted in almost all homes and businesses of Plaquemines Parish being catastrophically flooded. Belle Chasse, the location of the Naval Air Station and the Joint Reserve Base, was spared from flood destruction as it is flanked by the Mississippi River on the northern and eastern sides and the Industrial Canal on the west side and naturally sits on high ground. Most had to evacuate permanently from their houses, and many remained for months in Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers.
Rousselle blamed the national administration for the way it handled the aftermath of Katrina. Other politicians who criticized the way the U.S. government handled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans and parish presidents Junior Rodriguez from St. Bernard and Aaron Broussard from Jefferson.
Rousselle was constitutionally ineligible for a third consecutive term as Plaquemines parish president.
Election History
Member of Parish Council, District 2, 1990
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 6, 1990
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 709 (65%) | Elected |
| Richie DiFebbo | Republican | 158 (15%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 221 (20%) | Defeated |
State Representative, 105th Representative District, 1995
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 21, 1995
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 2,985 (31%) | Runoff |
| Jerry Hodnett | Democratic | 2,551 (26%) | Runoff |
| Others | n.a. | 4,118 (43%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 18, 1995
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 5,111 (53%) | Elected |
| Jerry Hodnett | Democratic | 4,565 (47%) | Defeated |
Plaquemines Parish President, 1998
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 3, 1998
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 4,965 (61%) | Elected |
| Clyde Giordano | Democratic | 3,140 (39%) | Defeated |
Plaquemines Parish President, 2002
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 5, 2002
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 3,354 (39%) | Runoff |
| Clyde Giordano | Democratic | 2,518 (29%) | Runoff |
| Janice Acosta | Democratic | 2,163 (25%) | Defeated |
| Tyronne Edwards | Independent | 610 (7%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 5, 2002
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Benny Rousselle | Democratic | 5,430 (56%) | Elected |
| Clyde Giordano | Democratic | 4,310 (44%) | Defeated |
References
- "House District 105". enlou.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
Sources
ThinkExist.com : http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/benny_rousselle/%5B%5D
Louisiana Secretary of State : https://web.archive.org/web/20060911211304/http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/
Plaquemines Parish: http://www.plaqueminesparish.com/
| Preceded by Frank Patti |
Louisiana State Representative from District 105 1996–1999 |
Succeeded by Ernest Wooton |
| Preceded by Clyde Giordano |
Plaquemines Parish President 1999–2007 |
Succeeded by Billy Nungesser |