Mike Branch (Louisiana politician) - News by PLAZOO

Billy Hathorn: {{Infobox Officeholder | name=((Mike Branch (Louisiana politician)|Michael Francis "Mike" Branch)) |image = Replace this image male.svg  |imagesize = 150px | | office={{flag icon|Louisiana}} ((Louisiana State Legislature|Louisiana State Senator from District 17 (East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, and Livingston parishes))) | party=((Republican party (United States)|Republican)) | term_start=((1996)) | term_end=((2000)) | preceded=((Mike Cross (Louisiana politician)|Michael "Mike" Cross)) | succeeded=((Heulette Fontenot))<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcpr&rqsdta=10239932|title=Louisiana election returns, October 23, 1999|publisher=sos.louisiana.gov|accessdate=October 23, 2009}}</ref> |office2=Member of the ((East Baton Rouge Parish)) ((School Board)) (District 11) |term_start2=((1989)) |term_end2=((1995)) |preceded2= |succeeded2=Jay Devall | birth_date={{birth date and age|1968|2|1}} | birth_place= | residence={{flagicon|Nevada}} ((Las vegas, Nevada|Las vegas))<br> ((Clark County, Nevada|Clark County)), ((Nevada)), ((United States|USA)) | alma_mater={{flagicon|USA}} Central High School<br> ((Louisiana State University)) | religion=((Methodist)) | occupation=((Commercial Pilot License|Commercial pilot)), Flight instructor | spouse= | children= | parents=Irvin Eugene and Mollie R. Branch | footnotes=Branch held public office in Louisiana between the ages of twenty-two and thirty-one but subsequently left the state after his term in the ((Louisiana State Legislature|state Senate)) ended in 2000. }} '''Michael Franklin Branch''', known as '''Mike Branch''' (born February 1, 1968), is a ((Commercial Pilot License|commercial pilot)) and flight instructor in ((Las vegas, Nevada|Las vegas)), ((Nevada)),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pilot-flight-instruction.com/profile.118462.html|title="Flight School and Aviation Training: Michael Franklin Branch"|publisher=pilot-flight-instruction.com|accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref>who served from 1996-2000 in the ((Louisiana State Legislature|Louisiana State Senate)) from District 13 (((East Baton Rouge Parish|East Baton Rouge)), ((East Feliciana Parish|East Feliciana)), and ((Livingston Parish|Livingston parishes))). A ((Republican party (United States)|Republican)), then from ((Denham Springs, Louisiana|Denham Springs)) in Livingston Parish, Branch at the age of twenty-seven, unseated ((incumbent)) ((Democratic party (United States)|Democratic)) Senator ((Mike Cross (Louisiana politician)|Mike Cross)), a former ((mayor)) of ((Baker, Louisiana|Baker)) in East Baton Rouge Parish. Branch is the son of Irvin Eugene Branch (born July 3, 1937) and Mollie R. Branch (born ca. 1938) of ((Greenwell Springs, Louisiana|Greenwell Springs)), a community in East Baton Rouge Parish. They were formerly of ((East Rutherford, New Jersey|East Rutherford)), ((New Jersey)), and later moved to Livingston Parish. Mike Branch has a sister, Kari Celeste Branch Schlotterer (born ca. 1970).<ref name=search>{{cite web|url=http://www.ussearch.com/consumer/index.jsp|title="USSearch"|publisher=usssearch.com|accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref> Mike Branch, an ((Eagle Scout)), graduated from Central High School<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publicschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/33878|title="Central High School, 10200 East Brookside Drive, Baton Rouge"|publisher=publicschoolreview.com|accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref> and ((Louisiana State University)) in ((Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge)), where he procured ((bachelor of General Studies)) and ((Master of Public Administration)) degrees. He was a ((second lieutenant)) in the ((Louisiana Army National Guard)). Prior to his state Senate term, Branch was a member of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board. He is a ((Methodist)).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://enlou.com/officeholders/senatedistrict13.htm|title="Senate District 13"|publisher=enlou.com|accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref> In the primary held on October 21, 1995, Branch defeated Cross, 23,002 (53.5 percent) to 20,002 (46.5 percent), an exact 3,000-vote margin. His victory is attributed to a 4,000-vote plurality in East Baton Rouge though he trailed in East Feliciana and Livingston parishes.<ref name=returns>{{cite web|url=http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcms3&rqsdta=102195|title=Louisiana election returns, October 21, 1995|publisher=sos.louisiana.gov|accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref> Branch did not seek reelection in the ((nonpartisan blanket primary)) in 1999 and was succeeded by ((Heulette Fontenot)),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcms3&rqsdta=102399|title=Louisiana election returns, October 23, 1999|publisher=sos.louisiana.gov|accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref> an oil company executive active in the ((Christian Coalition)) and allied with ((Louisiana State Legislature|State Representative)) ((Tony Perkins (politician)|Tony Perkins)). In the Senate, Branch served on the Commerce & Consumer Protection, Education, Judiciary B, and Retirement committees. He was the vice chairman of the education panel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Senators/Archives/1999/LinkShell.asp?type=branch|title="Senator Mike Branch"|publisher=senate.legis.state.la.us|accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref> At the age of twenty-two, Branch was elected to the District 11 seat on the 12-member East Baton Rouge Parish School Board. He led in the October 6, 1990 primary with 4,945 votes (42.4 percent) and went into the November general election with the Democrat Gordon H. Hutchinson, Jr. (born 1944), an author and teacher of ((self-defense)) courses in Baton Rouge, who received 4,091 (35.1 percent).<ref>{(cite web|url=http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcpr&rqsdta=10069017|title=Louisiana election returns, October 6, 1990|publisher=sos.louisiana.gov|accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref>In the second balloting on November 6,Branch handily defeated Hutchinson, 4,247 votes (63.4 percent) to 2,448 (36.6 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcpr&rqsdta=11069017|title=Louisiana election returns, November 6, 1990|publisher=sos.louisiana.gov|accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref>Branch was unopposed a second four-year term on the school board in 1994, but he served less than a year thereafter because he resigned from the school board to run for state senator.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcpr&rqsdta=10019417|title=Louisiana election returns, October 1, 1994|publisher=sos.louisiana.gov|accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref>Branch was succeeded on the school board by Jay Devall, winner of an all-Republcian ((special election)) to complete the remaining three years of the term.<ref name=returns/> In 1994, Branch was among those honored by the Baton Rouge Business Report in the "Under 40" category. Also honored were future ((U.S. Senator)) ((Mary Landrieu)) and later ((U.S. Representative)) ((Cleo Fields)).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessreport.com/news/2007/nov/20/past-forty-under-40-winners/|title=''Baton Rouge Business Report: Past Under-40 Winners"|publisher=businessreport.com, November 2007|accessdate=November 2, 2009}}</ref> Prior to his settling in Las vegas, Branch had several addresses after leaving the Senate in 2000, including ((Gretna, Louisiana|Gretna)), ((Terrytown, Louisiana|Terrytown)), and ((New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans)), ((Enid, Oklahoma|Enid)), ((Oklahoma)), and ((Port Hueneme, California|Port Hueneme)) in ((Ventura County, California|Ventura County)), ((California))<ref name=search/> ==References== {{reflist}} {{start box}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | before=((Mike Cross (Louisiana politician)|Mike Cross)) |title=((Louisiana State Senate|Louisiana State Senator from District 13 (Livingston and East Baton Rouge parishes))) ((Mike Branch (Louisiana politician)|Michael Franklin "Mike" Branch)) |years=1996–2000 |after=((Heulette Fontenot))}} {{end box}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Branch, Mike (Louisiana politician)}} ((Category:1968 births)) ((Category:Place of birth missing)) ((Category:People from Baton Rouge, Louisiana)) ((Category:Livingston Parish, Louisiana)) ((Category:People from Las vegas, Nevada)) ((Category:American businesspeople)) ((Category:Pilots)) ((Category:Louisiana Republicans)) ((Category:Louisiana State Senators)) ((Category:School board members in the United States)) ((Category:American Methodists)) ((Category:Louisiana State University alumni))