Diane Winston
Encyclopedia
Diane Grisham Winston is a businesswoman from Covington
, Louisiana
, who served as a Republican
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from 1996 until term-limited in 2008. Her District 77 includes parts of St. Tammany and Tangipahoa
parishes in suburban New Orleans
. In 2012, the district becomes based only in St. Tammany Parish.
Winston graduated in 1966 from Thomas Jefferson High School
in Dallas
, Texas
. She first attended Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge
and thereafter received a Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of New Orleans
. She is a fellow of the Institute of Politics of Loyola University
in New Orleans, along former Representative Garey Forster
and government watchdog C.B. Forgotston
. Prior to her legislative service, Winston was the executive director of the St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce
from 1988-1996. She also operated her own retail business in Covington. She has been active in the Children’s Advocacy Center, the Louisiana Breast Cancer
Task Force, Habitat for Humanity, and the Lake Pontchartrain
Basin Foundation. Married to Robert Bryant “Bob” Winston (born April 15, 1945), she is Lutheran.
In the 1995 House election, Winston led a three-candidate field with 5,824 votes (35.6 percent). Trailing her was the then Democrat
Jay Blossman
and a second Republican, Denis P. Bechac, who received 5,642 (34.5 percent) and 4,897 (29.9 percent), respectively.
In the ensuing general election
Winston defeated Blossman, 9,549 votes (52 percent) to 8,800 (48 percent). On that same day Republican Shirley D. Bowler
won a second term in the neighboring 78th District House seat by an identical margin over a Democratic opponent. Shortly after his defeat by Winston, Blossman switched party affiliation and was elected in 1996 to the Louisiana Public Service Commission
. Winston was unopposed in the 1999 and 2003 House primaries.
In 2005, Winston ran in a special election to succeed the late State Senator
John Hainkel
, also a former state representative. She was defeated by a fellow Republican, Julie Quinn
, a young Metairie
attorney who resigned from the Jefferson Parish School Board to enter the Senate race. Winston led the first round of balloting with 5,611 votes (31.6 percent), trailed by Quinn’s 4,243 (23.9 percent). Five other candidates, including former Public Service Commissioner John F. Schwegmann
, received the remaining 45 percent of the ballots. In the second balloting, Quinn polled 8,843 (51.5 percent) to Winston’s 8,333 (48.5 percent). In 2007, Winston announced that she would challenge Quinn for a full term in the state Senate but thereafter withdrew from the contest in which Quinn prevailed.
In the House, Winston served on the Appropriations; Education; Retirement; and Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs committees. She was a member too of the Budget Subcommittee on Civil Service, Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, and the Select Committee on Fiscal Affairs. During only a portion of her legislative career, Winston voted for more than $1.3 billion in additional taxes and fees, an issue used against her by opponent Quinn.
Winston frequently lectures in public forums on the role of women. In 2001, she addressed the "Women's History" forum at Southeastern Louisiana University
in Hammond
. In 2005, she addressed the annual banquet in Covington of the interest group, the National Association of Women in Construction, formed in 1953 to promote the interest of women in the construction industry. She geared her address to the construction needs stemming from Hurricane Katrina
.
Shortly after her House term ended, Winston donated to the congressional campaign of a former conservative colleague Steve Scalise
, who in a special election won the U.S. House seat vacated by Governor Bobby Jindal
and formerly held by U.S. Senator David Vitter
and former Representative Bob Livingston
.
Covington, Louisiana
Covington is a city in and the parish seat of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,483 at the 2000 census. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River....
, 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...
, who served as a Republican
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 House of Representatives
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...
from 1996 until term-limited in 2008. Her District 77 includes parts of St. Tammany and Tangipahoa
Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Tangipahoa Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, one of the Florida Parishes. The parish seat is Amite City, but the major city is Hammond. As of 2006, the population was 113,137...
parishes in suburban New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
. In 2012, the district becomes based only in St. Tammany Parish.
Winston graduated in 1966 from Thomas Jefferson High School
Thomas Jefferson High School (Dallas, Texas)
For schools with a similar name, see Jefferson High School.Thomas Jefferson High School is a secondary school in Dallas, Texas that serves grades 9-12. The school is part of the Dallas Independent School District and is located at 4001 Walnut Hill Lane, Dallas, Texas 75229...
in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. She first attended Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
and thereafter received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of New Orleans
University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans, often referred to locally as UNO, is a medium-sized public urban university located on the New Orleans Lakefront within New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is a member of the LSU System and the Urban 13 association. Currently UNO is without a proper chancellor...
. She is a fellow of the Institute of Politics of Loyola University
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...
in New Orleans, along former Representative Garey Forster
Garey Forster
Garey Forster is an American radio host who served in District 98 as a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1982–1997, when he resigned to become the state secretary of labor under Governor Murphy J...
and government watchdog C.B. Forgotston
C.B. Forgotston
Charlton Bath Forgotston, Jr., known as C.B. Forgotston , is an attorney, political pundit, and state government watchdog who resides in Hammond, the principal city of Tangipahoa Parish, a part of the Florida Parishes east of Baton Rouge in southeastern Louisiana...
. Prior to her legislative service, Winston was the executive director of the St. Tammany West 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...
from 1988-1996. She also operated her own retail business in Covington. She has been active in the Children’s Advocacy Center, the Louisiana Breast Cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
Task Force, Habitat for Humanity, and the Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
Basin Foundation. Married to Robert Bryant “Bob” Winston (born April 15, 1945), she is Lutheran.
In the 1995 House election, Winston led a three-candidate field with 5,824 votes (35.6 percent). Trailing her was the then 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...
Jay Blossman
Jay Blossman
Jack Arthur Blossman, Jr., known as Jay Blossman , is a Mandeville, Louisiana, attorney who is a former Republican member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Blossman was named PSC chairman by his colleagues early in 2007....
and a second Republican, Denis P. Bechac, who received 5,642 (34.5 percent) and 4,897 (29.9 percent), respectively.
In the ensuing 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...
Winston defeated Blossman, 9,549 votes (52 percent) to 8,800 (48 percent). On that same day Republican Shirley D. Bowler
Shirley D. Bowler
Shirley Duvigneaud Bowler is a writer and editor who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992 until term-limited in 2008. A Republican, she represented Louisiana House District 78, which includes her hometown of Harahan, Louisiana, in Jefferson Parish in suburban New...
won a second term in the neighboring 78th District House seat by an identical margin over a Democratic opponent. Shortly after his defeat by Winston, Blossman switched party affiliation and was elected in 1996 to 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...
. Winston was unopposed in the 1999 and 2003 House primaries.
In 2005, Winston ran in a special election to succeed the late State Senator
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...
John Hainkel
John Hainkel
John Joseph Hainkel, Jr., was a gregarious, ruffled, and raspy-voiced legislator from New Orleans who died in office after thirty-seven years of service...
, also a former state representative. She was defeated by a fellow Republican, Julie Quinn
Julie Quinn
Julie Ann Unangst Quinn is an attorney from Metairie, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate...
, a young Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
attorney who resigned from the Jefferson Parish School Board to enter the Senate race. Winston led the first round of balloting with 5,611 votes (31.6 percent), trailed by Quinn’s 4,243 (23.9 percent). Five other candidates, including former Public Service Commissioner John F. Schwegmann
John F. Schwegmann
John F. Schwegmann is a Metairie businessman, who was elected as a Democrat to the Louisiana Public Service Commission in 1981 to succeed his father, John G. Schwegmann. In 2002, Schwegmann declared himself an independent. He served for 15 years on the PSC, the public body which regulates rates of...
, received the remaining 45 percent of the ballots. In the second balloting, Quinn polled 8,843 (51.5 percent) to Winston’s 8,333 (48.5 percent). In 2007, Winston announced that she would challenge Quinn for a full term in the state Senate but thereafter withdrew from the contest in which Quinn prevailed.
In the House, Winston served on the Appropriations; Education; Retirement; and Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs committees. She was a member too of the Budget Subcommittee on Civil Service, Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, and the Select Committee on Fiscal Affairs. During only a portion of her legislative career, Winston voted for more than $1.3 billion in additional taxes and fees, an issue used against her by opponent Quinn.
Winston frequently lectures in public forums on the role of women. In 2001, she addressed the "Women's History" forum at Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
in Hammond
Hammond, Louisiana
Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University...
. In 2005, she addressed the annual banquet in Covington of the interest group, the National Association of Women in Construction, formed in 1953 to promote the interest of women in the construction industry. She geared her address to the construction needs stemming from Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
Shortly after her House term ended, Winston donated to the congressional campaign of a former conservative colleague Steve Scalise
Steve Scalise
Stephen Joseph "Steve" Scalise is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2008. He is a member of the Republican Party...
, who in a special election won the U.S. House seat vacated 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....
and formerly held by U.S. Senator David Vitter
David Vitter
David Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...
and former Representative Bob Livingston
Bob Livingston
Robert Linlithgow "Bob" Livingston Jr. is a Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist and a former Republican U.S. Representative from Louisiana...
.