Dan Morrish
Encyclopedia
Dan Wesley Morrish, sometimes known as Blade Morrish (born October 20, 1950), is a Republican
member of the Louisiana State Senate
(District 25) from Jennings
, the seat of Jefferson Davis Parish
in southwestern Louisiana
.
Morrish won his Senate seat in the general election
held on November 17, 2007, when he defeated the Democrat
Gil Pinac
of Crowley
, the seat of Acadia Parish
, also a departing state representative from a nearby district. In a low-turnout contest, Morrish polled 11,186 votes (53.9 percent) to Pinac's 9,556 (46.1 percent). Shortly after his defeat, Pinac switched to Republican affiliation and ran third in a special election held on April 4, 2009, for the Louisiana Public Service Commission
. Former U.S. Representative Clyde C. Holloway
of Rapides Parish
won the seat, after the second-place candidate, Democratic State Senator Joe McPherson
, also of Rapides Parish, withdrew.
Prior to his state Senate service, Morrish was a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from District 37 (Jefferson Davis and Calcasieu
parishes) from 1996 to 2008. He won a special election in 1996 to succeed Gerald J. Theunissen
, who resigned from the House upon election to the state Senate seat that Morrish now holds. Morrish was then unopposed as a Democrat for the House seat in the nonpartisan blanket primaries held in 1999 and 2003. Morrish switched parties on November 18, 2005. Like Morrish, Theunissen, another Democrat-turned-Republican from Jennings, served first in the House and then the Senate. Theunissen, a banker, was term-limited and ineligible to seek a fourth Senate term in the 2007 primary. Meanwhile, Morrish was succeeded in the House by another Jennings Republican businessman, John E. Guinn
.
Morrish served his last term in the House as a member of the House Appropriations Committee as the representative for the Seventh Congressional District. As s senator, Morrish serves on the Legislative Rural
Caucus, Environmental Quality, Insurance, Coastal Restoration & Flood Control, and Revenue & Fiscal Affairs committees. He is also vice-chairman of the Natural Resources Committee. He is considered a conservative in the legislature, having in 2008 supported the position of the Louisiana Family Forum
89 percent of the time. However, in 2009, Morrish voted with the Louisiana Restaurant Association and against the Family Forum's position when he supported a measure sponsored by Democratic Senator Lydia P. Jackson
of Shreveport
and signed by Governor Bobby Jindal
, which allows restaurant
s to assess cover charges for live entertainment and to serve alcoholic beverage
s. Morrish similarly received an 86 percent rating from the interest group, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
.
As a Democrat, Morrish endorsed George W. Bush
for U.S. President in 2000 and 2004. When Bush visited Lafayette
, Louisiana, in 2001, he singled out Morrish for his support: ". . . There is one other fellow, a man who stuck his neck out in the course of the campaign. You see, he doesn't happen to have the Republican label by his name. His name is Dan Morrish. He's a Democrat. He put party aside and did what he thought was right for the country. And Dan, I'm honored to have your support. I thank you for your friendship."
Formerly the owner-operator of Capitol City Hardware & Implement Company in Jennings, Morrish is currently the business manager of Lake Charles Pilots. He graduated in 1968 from Jennings High School. He then procured a Bachelor of Science
degree in agriculture
from McNeese State University
in Lake Charles
. Morrish is a past president of the Greater Jennings Chamber of Commerce
and the Jennings Merchants Credit Bureau. He is active in Jennings Rotary International
. A member of Our Lady of Help Christians Roman Catholic Church, Morrish is married to the former Kathleen Vidrine, originally from Lake Charles and is the father of a daughter, Erin Morrish Boudreaux, and a son, Christopher J. Morrish.
Morrish's Senate District 25 encompasses parts of six state House seats in the southwestern parishes of Jefferson Davis and Cameron and portions of Acadia and the southeastern part of Calcasieu Parish.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Louisiana State Senate
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
(District 25) from Jennings
Jennings, Louisiana
Jennings is a small city in and the parish seat of Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, United States, near Lake Charles. The population was 10,986 at the 2000 census....
, the seat of Jefferson Davis Parish
Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Davis Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Jennings. As of 2000, its population was 31,435. Jefferson Davis Parish is named after the president of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, Jefferson Davis. It is located in southwestern...
in southwestern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
Morrish won his Senate seat in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
held on November 17, 2007, when he defeated the Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Gil Pinac
Gil Pinac
Gillis James Pinac, known as Gil Pinac is a former 12-year Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Crowley, the seat of Acadia Parish...
of Crowley
Crowley, Louisiana
Crowley is a city in and the parish seat of Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 14,225 at the 2000 census. The city is noted for its annual International Rice Festival. Crowley has the nickname of "Rice Capital of America", because at one time it was a major center for...
, the seat of Acadia Parish
Acadia Parish, Louisiana
Acadia Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Crowley. According to the 2010 census, the population of Acadia Parish is 61,773. The parish was founded from parts of St...
, also a departing state representative from a nearby district. In a low-turnout contest, Morrish polled 11,186 votes (53.9 percent) to Pinac's 9,556 (46.1 percent). Shortly after his defeat, Pinac switched to Republican affiliation and ran third in a special election held on April 4, 2009, for the Louisiana Public Service Commission
Louisiana Public Service Commission
Louisiana Public Service Commission is an independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers in Louisiana. The commission has five elected members chosen in single-member districts for staggered six-year terms...
. Former U.S. Representative Clyde C. Holloway
Clyde C. Holloway
Clyde Cecil Holloway is an American small business owner from Forest Hill in the southern part of Rapides Parish who is one of five members of the Louisiana Public Service Commission. He also served as a conservative Republican member of the U.S...
of Rapides Parish
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
-Military Installations:*Camp Beauregard *Esler Airfield *England Air Force Base *Camp Claiborne *Camp Livingston -Demographics:...
won the seat, after the second-place candidate, Democratic State Senator Joe McPherson
Joe McPherson
William Joseph "Joe" McPherson, Jr., is a retiring veteran Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from Woodworth, a small community south of Alexandria, Louisiana, the seat of government of Rapides Parish and the largest city in the Central Louisiana region...
, also of Rapides Parish, withdrew.
Prior to his state Senate service, Morrish was a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
from District 37 (Jefferson Davis and Calcasieu
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish[p] is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lake Charles. As of 2010, the parish population was 192,768...
parishes) from 1996 to 2008. He won a special election in 1996 to succeed Gerald J. Theunissen
Gerald Theunissen
Gerald Joseph Theunissen, or Jerry Theunissen , is the vice president of Jeff Davis Bank in Jennings, Louisiana, USA, and served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 37 and as the state senator from District 25...
, who resigned from the House upon election to the state Senate seat that Morrish now holds. Morrish was then unopposed as a Democrat for the House seat in the nonpartisan blanket primaries held in 1999 and 2003. Morrish switched parties on November 18, 2005. Like Morrish, Theunissen, another Democrat-turned-Republican from Jennings, served first in the House and then the Senate. Theunissen, a banker, was term-limited and ineligible to seek a fourth Senate term in the 2007 primary. Meanwhile, Morrish was succeeded in the House by another Jennings Republican businessman, John E. Guinn
John E. Guinn
John Eddie Guinn, Sr., also known as Johnny Guinn , is a businessman from Jennings, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 37 in Jefferson Davis and Calcasieu parishes in the southwestern portion of his state...
.
Morrish served his last term in the House as a member of the House Appropriations Committee as the representative for the Seventh Congressional District. As s senator, Morrish serves on the Legislative Rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
Caucus, Environmental Quality, Insurance, Coastal Restoration & Flood Control, and Revenue & Fiscal Affairs committees. He is also vice-chairman of the Natural Resources Committee. He is considered a conservative in the legislature, having in 2008 supported the position of the Louisiana Family Forum
Louisiana Family Forum
Louisiana Family Forum is a social conservative non-profit advocacy group based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The organization supports Louisiana's covenant marriage law and opposes abortion and same-sex marriage...
89 percent of the time. However, in 2009, Morrish voted with the Louisiana Restaurant Association and against the Family Forum's position when he supported a measure sponsored by Democratic Senator Lydia P. Jackson
Lydia P. Jackson
Lydia Patrice Jackson is an African American Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from Shreveport, Louisiana. Since 2004, Jackson has represented the 39th District in Caddo Parish in the far northwestern corner of her state....
of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
and signed by Governor Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
, which allows restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s to assess cover charges for live entertainment and to serve alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s. Morrish similarly received an 86 percent rating from the interest group, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
Louisiana Association of Business and Industry
The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, known by the acronym LABI, is the largest and most successful business lobbying group in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It was founded in Baton Rouge in 1976, when Louisiana adopted a new right-to-work law during the administration of Democratic...
.
As a Democrat, Morrish endorsed George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
for U.S. President in 2000 and 2004. When Bush visited Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, Louisiana, in 2001, he singled out Morrish for his support: ". . . There is one other fellow, a man who stuck his neck out in the course of the campaign. You see, he doesn't happen to have the Republican label by his name. His name is Dan Morrish. He's a Democrat. He put party aside and did what he thought was right for the country. And Dan, I'm honored to have your support. I thank you for your friendship."
Formerly the owner-operator of Capitol City Hardware & Implement Company in Jennings, Morrish is currently the business manager of Lake Charles Pilots. He graduated in 1968 from Jennings High School. He then procured a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
from McNeese State University
McNeese State University
McNeese State University is a public university located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, in the United States. Founded in 1939 as a junior college, McNeese experienced growth due to economic activity in the region. It adopted its present name in 1970....
in Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
. Morrish is a past president of the Greater Jennings Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
and the Jennings Merchants Credit Bureau. He is active in Jennings Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
. A member of Our Lady of Help Christians Roman Catholic Church, Morrish is married to the former Kathleen Vidrine, originally from Lake Charles and is the father of a daughter, Erin Morrish Boudreaux, and a son, Christopher J. Morrish.
Morrish's Senate District 25 encompasses parts of six state House seats in the southwestern parishes of Jefferson Davis and Cameron and portions of Acadia and the southeastern part of Calcasieu Parish.