American politician

Russell Barrow Pea* (born March 19, 1970) is the current Republican state senator for District 37 in northwestern Louisiana. He began his second term on January 11, 2016.

A native of Shreveport, Pea* is a businessman and former elected member of the Louisiana State Republican Central Committee.

Contents

• 1 Education and career
• 2 Early political career
• 3 Louisiana State Senate
• 4 Personal life
• 5 References

Education and career

Pea* was born in Shreveport to John William "Bill" Pea* (1931–2012) and the former Sidney Barrow. John Pea* graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, served in the United States Air Force in England, and was the president until his retirement in 1998 of Pea* Surgical and Company in Shreveport. Barrow Pea*'s paternal grandparents were William Arnold Pea* and the former Mattie Williams. Pea* has a sister, Martha Pea* Ross and her husband, Lew.

Pea* earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Southern Methodist University. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from LSU in Baton Rouge.

Pea* is a partner at BHP Properties, a Shreveport investments and real estate firm. He has also served on the board of directors at the Christus Schumpert Health System Foundation and the Louisiana *ociation for the Blind. He was the finance chairman at the Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana. He is a notary public in Louisiana and holds a license in real estate.

Early political career

Before he was elected to the state senate, Pea* ran four unsuccessful campaigns for both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature. He persisted, gaining more popular vote each time that he ran.

Louisiana State Senate

On May 24, 2011, Pea* announced his second campaign for the District 37 senate seat. The in*bent B. L. Shaw, a retired educator from Shreveport elected in 2007, decided not to seek a second term. A term-limited state representative, Jane H. Smith, another retired educator, was Pea*'s principal primary challenger in the heavily Republican district. Smith received the endor*t of Governor Bobby Jindal, who himself was reelected in the 2011 primary. The 37th district comprises sections of Shreveport and Bossier City.

At the outset of the election, Pea* described his reasons for running as such:

For too long Louisiana has taxed too much and spent too much. Louisiana hasn't grown, the government has...

Pea* went on to win the election against Smith with 55 percent of the vote. Shaw described Pea*'s win as a "David-versus-Goliath victory" because Smith had carried Jindal's backing.

As a newly elected senator, Pea* voted against then Governor Jindal's choice for Senate President, John Alario of Westwego in Jefferson Parish. Pea*'s rationale for opposing Alario is that he had promised cons*uents that he would not vote to confirm Alario. Previously, Alario was twice Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives under the Edwin Edwards administration. Alario *igned Pea* to the Retirement and Labor committees.

After his first session, Pea* achieved a 100 percent Outstanding Family Advocate Award from the Louisiana Family Forum, a 100 percent scorecard from the Louisiana *ociation of Business and Industry, a 100 percent rating from the Federation of Independent Business in Louisiana and an A+ from the Louisiana Sheriff's *ociation.

In January 2016, Senate President John Alario appointed Pea*, his former intraparty rival, as chairman of the Senate Retirement Committee.

Conservative radio talk show host Moon Griffon of Lafayette has frequently ridiculed Pea* on Griffon's program because of Pea*'s since close ties to Alario. Griffon mimics a bird to show what he considers Pea*'s subservience to Alario. Moreover, Griffon is critical of all of the Republican state senators for what he considers their lack of legislative independence and willingness to approve higher taxes. However, Griffon noted thereafter that Pea* was one of only two state senators to oppose a budget change in 2017 requested by Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards and backed by Alario. Lawmakers voted to take $99:million from the "rainy day" fund for use in closing a $304:million projected deficit.

Personal life

Pea* is married to the former Melanie Fuller and has three sons. He is a member of the National Rifle *ociation and a former auxiliary deputy sheriff in Caddo Parish. He and his family are members of the First United Methodist Church in Shreveport.

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References