American politician
John A. Alario Jr. is an American politician from Louisiana who represented the 8th district in the Louisiana State Senate from 2008 until 2020. Currently a Republican , Alario previously represented District 83 in the Louisiana House of Representatives as a Democrat between 1971 and 2007.[ 1] [ 2] 2019 , and chose not to seek another office.[ 3]
Alario was the President of the Louisiana State Senate , serving in that role between 2012 and 2020; he is also a former two-term Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives . He is the first politician in Louisiana history to hold both roles for two terms each, as well as the longest-serving legislator in state history.[ 4]
Early career
A graduate of West Jefferson High School and Southeastern Louisiana University , Alario worked as a teacher and accountant prior to entering politics. He has been the owner of John A. Alario, Jr. Tax Income Service since 1972.[ 1]
Electoral history
Louisiana House of Representatives
Alario was first elected as a Democrat to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1971, representing the 83rd district in suburban Jefferson Parish .
Speaker of the House
In 1984, Alario was chosen to be Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives under Governor Edwin Edwards . He lost that title under Governor Buddy Roemer in 1988, but won it back in 1992 to serve another 4-year term.[ 5]
Louisiana State Senate
Alario was elected in 2007 to the 6th district in the Louisiana State Senate , defeating Democratic opponent John Roberts 63-37%. In 2010, Alario switched to the Republican Party due to the national direction of the Democratic Party and the increasingly-Republican politics of Louisiana.[ 6]
Alario was re-elected unopposed in 2011 and 2015 . He was term-limited in 2019 . Though there was speculation that he would run for his former House of Representatives seat, Alario declined and chose to retire from politics.[ 3]
Senate President
Alario was chosen as President of the Louisiana State Senate under Governor Bobby Jindal in 2011, and served a second term under Governor John Bel Edwards . He is the second Republican Senate President since Reconstruction .
Personal life
Alario's first wife, Alba "Ree" Williamson Alario, died in 2006; the couple had four children – Jan Marie, John, Christopher, and Kevin – and seven grandchildren.[ 7]
He remarried in 2023 to Trina Scott Edwards, who is the widow of former Governor Edwin Edwards .
References
^ a b "Senator John A. Alario, Jr" . Louisiana State Senate. Retrieved September 25, 2019 .^ "John Alario" . Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 25, 2019 .^ a b Staff Report (July 25, 2019). "John Alario won't run for House seat, marking end to 48-year era in Louisiana Legislature" . The Advocate. Retrieved September 25, 2019 . ^ Tyler Bridges (July 6, 2019). "John Alario, master of Louisiana Senate, is term-limited. Will he retire or run for old House seat?" . The Advocate. Retrieved September 25, 2019 . ^ Julia O'Donoghue (April 24, 2019). "Sen. John Alario: Louisiana's most powerful legislator" . Nola.com. Retrieved September 29, 2019 . ^ Jan Moller (April 24, 2019). "State Sen. John Alario switches to GOP" . Nola.com. Retrieved December 8, 2010 . ^ "Alba Williamson "Ree" Alario Obituary" . Nola.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019 .
External links
