Michael G. Strain
Encyclopedia
Michael Gene Strain, known as Mike Strain (born December 2, 1959), is the first Republican
ever elected to the position of Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry
.
A former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from Covington
in St. Tammany Parish
, Louisiana
, Strain took his new position with his state's other constitutional officers on January 14, 2008.
and rancher, Strain was born in Covington to Charles "Butch" Strain, Jr., and Carol Strain of Abita Springs
, a small town in St. Tammany Parish. He graduated in 1977 from Covington High School
. He obtained his Bachelor of Science
degree from Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge
. In 1983, he procured his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
from LSU. He and his veterinarian wife, Dr. Susan Searcy Strain (born January 31, 1958), a native of Hot Springs, Arkansas
, operate Claiborne Hill Veterinary Hospital in Covington. The Strains have two children, Melissa and Michael. They attend St. Jane's Catholic
Church in Abita Springs.
Strain, a cousin
of St. Tammany Parish Sheriff
Jack Strain, is a former member of the Sheriff’s Office Reserves and a former commissioner for the St. Tammany Parish Fire District. He was chosen by the Centers for Disease Control
as one of three Louisiana veterinarians to have been instructed in awareness of bioterrorism
. Dr. Strain is a past president and board member for the Louisiana Farm Bureau
and is affiliated with the Louisiana Cattle
men's Association.
, and Washington
parishes. In 2000, he succeeded a cousin, R.H. "Bill" Strain, a veteran Democratic
lawmaker. Strain was re-elected without opposition in 2003.
In the legislature, Strain chaired the Rural Caucus for two terms and was named Legislator of the Year by the St. Tammany Parish Alliance for Good Government.
s questioned Strain's legislative votes for higher tax
es, including his support for the Stelly Plan
(named for former State Representative Vic Stelly
of Lake Charles
), a tax adjustment plan with higher taxes on owners of recreational vehicles. Strain also opposed a bill that would have required public school students in the third, fourth, and fifth grades to recite daily twelve lines of the Declaration of Independence
. The bill in question did not establish a wise use of academic time, Strain reasoned. He supported expedited proceedings to grant divorce
s. He supported allowing convenience store
s to offer drive-through daiquiri
stands.
Nevertheless, Strain carried the support of the conservative Louisiana Family Forum
, which honored him in 2007 as one of twenty-three lawmakers so designated as an "Outstanding Family Advocate".
Robert Fred "Bob" Odom
, who in recent years had been engulfed in multiple personal corruption
allegations.
Numerous newspapers endorsed Strain's candidacy. They include the New Orleans Times-Picayune
, the Shreveport Times, the Monroe News Star
in Monroe
(the seat of Ouachita Parish in northeast Louisiana) and the Alexandria Daily Town Talk
in Alexandria
(the seat of Rapides Parish in central Louisiana). In declaring its support for Strain, the Times-Picayune said that the department is "badly in need of change. The department in recent years has run amok, particularly as it embarked on an ill-conceived and wasteful building campaign. Taxpayers are now carrying a $56 million debt risk for a syrup mill that's not meeting production projections. Yet the department sought to build a separate $135 million mill last year until public pressure helped kill the project . . . "
Strain also received the endorsement of the Louisiana Republican Party and the support of Republican U.S. Senator David Vitter
, who urged voters to elect Strain in order to "move beyond our past of cronyism and corruption. "
, Odom led Strain, 505,466 (41 percent) to 494,726 (40 percent). Two other candidates, Republicans Wayne Carter, a conservative member of the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro council from Odom's own Zachary
, and Don Johnson, a farmer from Transylvania
in East Carroll Parish, trailed with 152,872 (13 percent) and 69,469 (6 percent), respectively. The total Republican vote hence totaled 59 percent. Johnson had also run against Odom in 1987, 1991, 1995, and 2003.
Less than a week later, Odom announced that he would not contest the general election. Therefore, Strain was declared the winner of the election.
Strain won a second term as agriculture commissioner in the primary held on October 22, 2011. With 640,631 votes (66.5 percent), he defeated two politically unknown opponents, Democrat Jamie LaBranche, who trailed with 267,576 votes (27.8 percent), and Republican Belinda Alexandrenko, who polled 54,842 votes (5.7 percent).
Threshold > 50% plus one vote
First Ballot, October 23, 1999
State Representative, 74th Representative District, 2003
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 4, 2003
Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, 2007
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 20, 2007
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...
ever elected to the position of Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is a state agency of Louisiana, headquartered in Baton Rouge. The Department is responsible for promoting, protecting and advanceing agriculture and forestry, and soil and water resources....
.
A former 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 Covington
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....
in St. Tammany Parish
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
St. Tammany Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, in the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area. The parish seat is Covington....
, 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...
, Strain took his new position with his state's other constitutional officers on January 14, 2008.
Background
A veterinarianVeterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
and rancher, Strain was born in Covington to Charles "Butch" Strain, Jr., and Carol Strain of Abita Springs
Abita Springs, Louisiana
Abita Springs is a town in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The estimated population, in 2003, was 2,112. It is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, a small town in St. Tammany Parish. He graduated in 1977 from Covington High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. He obtained his 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 from 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...
. In 1983, he procured his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
from LSU. He and his veterinarian wife, Dr. Susan Searcy Strain (born January 31, 1958), a native of Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
, operate Claiborne Hill Veterinary Hospital in Covington. The Strains have two children, Melissa and Michael. They attend St. Jane's Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Church in Abita Springs.
Strain, a cousin
Cousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
of St. Tammany Parish Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
Jack Strain, is a former member of the Sheriff’s Office Reserves and a former commissioner for the St. Tammany Parish Fire District. He was chosen by the Centers for Disease Control
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
as one of three Louisiana veterinarians to have been instructed in awareness of bioterrorism
Bioterrorism
Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, or toxins, and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form. For the use of this method in warfare, see biological warfare.-Definition:According to the...
. Dr. Strain is a past president and board member for the Louisiana Farm Bureau
American Farm Bureau Federation
The American Farm Bureau Federation , commonly referred to as the Farm Bureau, is a nonprofit organization and the largest general farm organization in the United States...
and is affiliated with the Louisiana Cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
men's Association.
State representative
In 1999, Strain was elected to the Louisiana House from District 74, a conservative constituency located in St. Tammany, TangipahoaTangipahoa 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...
, and Washington
Washington Parish, Louisiana
Washington Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its parish seat is Franklinton. In 2000, its population was 43,926....
parishes. In 2000, he succeeded a cousin, R.H. "Bill" Strain, a veteran Democratic
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...
lawmaker. Strain was re-elected without opposition in 2003.
In the legislature, Strain chaired the Rural Caucus for two terms and was named Legislator of the Year by the St. Tammany Parish Alliance for Good Government.
Campaign critics
In the campaign, some conservativeConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
s questioned Strain's legislative votes for higher tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es, including his support for the Stelly Plan
Stelly Plan
The Stelly Plan is a since repealed 2002 tax measure in the U.S. state of Louisiana designed to shift certain state sales taxes on food for home consumption and utilities to increases in state income taxes. Narrowly approved by voters, the proposal soon ran into criticism as middle-class taxpayers...
(named for former State Representative Vic Stelly
Vic Stelly
Victor Theodore Stelly, known as Vic Stelly , is a retired businessman from Lake Charles, Louisiana, a member of the Louisiana Board of Regents for Higher Education, and from 1988-2004 a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 35 in Calcasieu Parish in the...
of 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...
), a tax adjustment plan with higher taxes on owners of recreational vehicles. Strain also opposed a bill that would have required public school students in the third, fourth, and fifth grades to recite daily twelve lines of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
. The bill in question did not establish a wise use of academic time, Strain reasoned. He supported expedited proceedings to grant divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
s. He supported allowing convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s to offer drive-through daiquiri
Daiquiri
Daiquiri is a family of cocktails whose main ingredients are rum, lime juice, and sugar or other sweetener. There are several versions, but those that gained international fame are the ones made in the El Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba....
stands.
Nevertheless, Strain carried the support of the conservative 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...
, which honored him in 2007 as one of twenty-three lawmakers so designated as an "Outstanding Family Advocate".
Campaign
Early in 2007, Strain entered the race for Commissioner of Agriculture & Forestry of Louisiana in 2007. He opposed the 28-year Democratic incumbentIncumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Robert Fred "Bob" Odom
Bob Odom
Robert Fulton "Bob" Odom is the former Democratic Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry in the U.S. state of Louisiana, who served from 1980-2008. Now in the private sector, Odom operates a consulting company to work with farmers on a statewide and national basis. He offers input on farm...
, who in recent years had been engulfed in multiple personal corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
allegations.
Numerous newspapers endorsed Strain's candidacy. They include the New Orleans Times-Picayune
New Orleans Times-Picayune
The Times-Picayune is a daily newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.-History:Established as The Picayune in 1837 by Francis Lumsden and George Wilkins Kendall, the paper's initial price was one picayune—a Spanish coin equivalent to 6¼¢ .Under Eliza Jane Nicholson, who inherited the...
, the Shreveport Times, the Monroe News Star
Monroe News Star
The News-Star is the principal newspaper of Monroe and northeastern Louisiana. Its circulation area ranges over some dozen parishes from Ruston, the seat of Lincoln Parish, on the west, to Tallulah in Madison Parish on the east, to the Arkansas state line on the north, and to Ferriday in Concordia...
in Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
(the seat of Ouachita Parish in northeast Louisiana) and the Alexandria Daily Town Talk
The Town Talk (Alexandria)
The Town Talk, started as The Daily Town Talk in 1883 and later named the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, is the major newspaper of Central Louisiana. It is published by Gannett in Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish and the economic center of Central Louisiana.The daily newspaper has a circulation...
in Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
(the seat of Rapides Parish in central Louisiana). In declaring its support for Strain, the Times-Picayune said that the department is "badly in need of change. The department in recent years has run amok, particularly as it embarked on an ill-conceived and wasteful building campaign. Taxpayers are now carrying a $56 million debt risk for a syrup mill that's not meeting production projections. Yet the department sought to build a separate $135 million mill last year until public pressure helped kill the project . . . "
Strain also received the endorsement of the Louisiana Republican Party and the support of Republican 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...
, who urged voters to elect Strain in order to "move beyond our past of cronyism and corruption. "
Election returns
In the October 20, jungle primaryJungle primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Under this system, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, as in a runoff election...
, Odom led Strain, 505,466 (41 percent) to 494,726 (40 percent). Two other candidates, Republicans Wayne Carter, a conservative member of the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro council from Odom's own Zachary
Zachary, Louisiana
Zachary is a city in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,275 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, and Don Johnson, a farmer from Transylvania
Transylvania, Louisiana
Transylvania is an unincorporated community located mostly in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana. As of the 2000 census, the population of Transylvania is 743.-Geography:...
in East Carroll Parish, trailed with 152,872 (13 percent) and 69,469 (6 percent), respectively. The total Republican vote hence totaled 59 percent. Johnson had also run against Odom in 1987, 1991, 1995, and 2003.
Less than a week later, Odom announced that he would not contest the general election. Therefore, Strain was declared the winner of the election.
Strain won a second term as agriculture commissioner in the primary held on October 22, 2011. With 640,631 votes (66.5 percent), he defeated two politically unknown opponents, Democrat Jamie LaBranche, who trailed with 267,576 votes (27.8 percent), and Republican Belinda Alexandrenko, who polled 54,842 votes (5.7 percent).
Electoral history
State Representative, 74th Representative District, 1999Threshold > 50% plus one vote
First Ballot, October 23, 1999
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Mike Strain | Republican | 10,827 (70%) | Elected |
| Bob Ellis | Republican | 3,150 (20%) | Defeated |
| Dick Donahue | Republican | 1,499 (10%) | Defeated |
State Representative, 74th Representative District, 2003
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 4, 2003
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Mike Strain | Republican | Unopposed | Elected |
Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, 2007
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 20, 2007
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Bob Odom Bob Odom Robert Fulton "Bob" Odom is the former Democratic Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry in the U.S. state of Louisiana, who served from 1980-2008. Now in the private sector, Odom operates a consulting company to work with farmers on a statewide and national basis. He offers input on farm... |
Democratic | 505,504 (41%) | Runoff |
| Mike Strain | Republican | 494,760 (40%) | Runoff |
| Wayne Carter | Republican | 152,893 (13%) | Defeated |
| Don Johnson | Republican | 69,470 (6%) | Defeated |