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Kathleen Blanco
Blanco in 2006
54th Governor of Louisiana
In office January 12, 2004 – January 14, 2008
Lieutenant
Mitch Landrieu
Preceded by
Mike Foster
Succeeded by
Bobby Jindal
50th Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana
In office January 8, 1996 – January 12, 2004
Governor
Mike Foster
Preceded by
Melinda Schwegmann
Succeeded by
Mitch Landrieu
Member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission from the 2nd district
In office January 1, 1989 – January 8, 1996
Succeeded by
Jimmy Field
Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 45th district
In office March 12, 1984 – January 1, 1989
Preceded by
Luke LeBlanc
Succeeded by
Jerry LeBlanc
Personal details
Born
Kathleen Marie Babineaux
(1942-12-15)December 15, 1942 New Iberia, Louisiana, U.S.
Died
August 18, 2019(2019-08-18) (aged 76) Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
Political party
Democratic
Spouse
Raymond Blanco
(m. 1964)
Children
6
Education
University of Louisiana, Lafayette (BS)
Kathleen Marie Blanco (née Babineaux; December 15, 1942 – August 18, 2019) was an American politician who served as the 54th governor of Louisiana from 2004 to 2008. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first and, to date, only woman elected as the state's governor.
When first elected, Blanco outlined her top priorities as providing affordable healthcare, improving the education system in the state, and helping to create a strong and vibrant economy through aggressive economic development initiatives. Her work as governor changed dramatically when, in 2005, coastal Louisiana was severely damaged by two hurricanes that struck less than a month apart. In August, Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans region, an urban area of 1.4 million people. Then, in September, Hurricane Rita struck the southwestern coast, displacing another 300,000 people. More than 200,000 housing units were destroyed, 81,000 businesses closed, entire electrical and telecommunication systems were torn apart, and one million people were made homeless as a result of severe flooding caused by levee failures and storm surges.
Many believed the immediate response from the city, state, and federal governments was inadequate, and Blanco later fully acknowledged there were failures on the part of her administration before and after the storm; however, much criticism, both locally and nationally, was directed at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and at President Bush, for what was seen as a slow initial response to the disaster and an inability to effectively manage, care for and deliver promised resources to those trying to evacuate from New Orleans.
Blanco announced in March 2007 that she would not seek re-election later that year, saying that she would instead "focus [her] time and energy for the [remainder of her term] on the people's work, not on [the] politics" of running for another term. In June 2011 she was diagnosed with cancer, and she died eight years later on August 18, 2019.
Kathleen Marie Blanco (née Babineaux; December 15, 1942 – August 18, 2019) was an American politician who served as the 54th governor of Louisiana from...
responses, especially New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, Louisiana Governor KathleenBlanco, and President George W. Bush. However, several agencies, such as the...
residents from leaving disaster areas. On September 1, 2005, Governor KathleenBlanco called off search and rescue efforts and diverted the attention of...
the gubernatorial tenure of his wife, then Governor of Louisiana KathleenBlanco. Blanco, the first man to serve as First Gentleman of Louisiana, was also...
unsuccessful candidate for governor of Louisiana in an election won by KathleenBlanco. Leach was born in Leesville in Vernon Parish in western Louisiana...
Democrats KathleenBlanco of Lafayette had led the high-profile growth of the state's tourism industry in her two terms as Lieutenant Governor. Blanco ran as...
— Governor KathleenBlanco, September 2, 2005 Chief among those criticisms is that state National Guard troops, under the command of Governor Blanco, were...
the legislation to implement the reforms. In January 2004, Governor KathleenBlanco endorsed the Commission's recommendations. Landrieu also led the effort...
but narrowly lost in the runoff election to Democratic candidate KathleenBlanco. In 2004, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming...
educational institutions, and Fortune 500 corporations. Louisiana Governor KathleenBlanco appointed Mackie to the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA), the guiding...
August 31, 2023. "Kathleen Babineaux Blanco". National Governors Association. Retrieved March 2, 2023. "Kathleen Babineaux Blanco". Secretary of State...
1958), musician Jo-El Sonnier (born 1946), musician Cajuns in music KathleenBlanco (1942-2019), former Louisiana Governor John Breaux (born 1944), former...
president of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana KathleenBlanco, first female governor of Louisiana Dudley J. LeBlanc, senator from...
re-election. Beshear was inaugurated on December 11, 2007. Governor KathleenBlanco announced on March 20, 2007 that she would not seek a second term....
New Orleans Ray Nagin, President George W. Bush, Louisiana Governor KathleenBlanco, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director Michael D...
Commissioner Paul Tagliabue met with Benson and Louisiana governor KathleenBlanco at the Saints' first home game in Baton Rouge on October 30. After...
award was presented by the then-Lieutenant-Governor of Louisiana, KathleenBlanco, on November 2, 2002, at a ceremony held at the inaugural Louisiana...
that were peeled off by the wind. On August 30, Louisiana Governor KathleenBlanco ordered the complete evacuation of the remaining people that sought...
Book of the Year Award. In October 2005, the Governor of Louisiana, KathleenBlanco, appointed Isaacson vice chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority...
for Planning and Evaluation from 2001 to 2003. Jindal ran against KathleenBlanco for governor in 2003, and was narrowly defeated, having received 48%...
2016: Hokie Gajan 2017: Jay Romig 2018: Michael C. Hebert 2019: Gov. KathleenBlanco 2020: Marco Garcia 2023: Steve Paretti and Bob Parkinson The Saintsations...
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