Rep. Dixon, Herbert B.

House Member

Rep. Dixon, Herbert B. (D)
District# 26, Alexandria

Contact Information

District Office
Legislative Assistant : Stacey Douglas
Email Dixon, Herbert B.
Phone: (318)487-5661
Fax: (318)487-5506
Address: 804 Broadway Avenue
Alexandria, LA 71302
Map
Capitol House Switch Band: (225) 342-6945
Capitol House Fax: (225)342-8336

Profile

- District #: House District 1
- Party: Democrat
- Caucus Membership: Democratic Caucus, Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, Louisiana Rural Caucus
- Occupation: Sales Representative - Nat'l Motor Club, Inc.
- Education: Peabody High School, 1967;
  B.S., Southern University, Baton Rouge, 1971;
  M.Ed., Southern University, 1975,
  M.Ed. plus 30, Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, 1979;
  further studies, George Washington University
- Spouse: Janet
- Year Elected: 2007
- Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2020
- 2007 Election
  Dixon, who ran second to the then-incumbent Israel Curtis in the 2003 general election, avoided a runoff in the October 2007 primary by a mere 12 votes. He defeated three challengers in the race.

District Profile

Registered Voters by Parish: Rapides 100.0%
Municipalities/Communities Represented: Alexandria, Pineville
- Louisiana Map
- District Map
- Metro Map
Economic: District 26 is made up of the core areas of Alexandria, including the central business district and a portion of Rapides Parish outside the city limits. As such, it contains the business, financial and governmental center of Alexandria. The Rapides Parish School System is the parish’s largest employer and three medical centers make the district a health care hub for central Louisiana. The state also operates several schools in the region for developmentally and physically disabled students.
Proctor and Gamble has operated a plant in the region since the 1960s; it now generates $45 million in revenue annually, employs 300 and is the company’s second-largest detergent producer globally. In 2006, the district received a major financial boost with the construction of the $100 million Union Tank Car manufacturing facility on 140 acres adjacent to the England Industrial Air Park. As of late 2007, the plant employed nearly 600 workers.

Social: District 26 is a study in contrasts. Residing here are poor and working-class blacks as well as the white upper-income elite of the city. After the 2005 hurricanes, the enrollment of Rapides Parish schools increased by nearly 1 percent with the influx of evacuated students and several major companies relocated their headquarters to Alexandria during the recovery.

Political: The district, which encompasses the central portions of Alexandria, is majority black and heavily Democratic. Yet the white minority includes much of the city’s business and political leadership.

Biography

- Herbert Dixon’s career in public service has tracked that of his predecessor, Israel B. Curtis. Both men ascended to the Louisiana House of Representatives after several terms on the Rapides Parish School Board. In fact, when Curtis was elected to the House in 1992, it was Dixon who took his place as the District D school board member.
- Indeed, Dixon has a proven track record on education issues and once pushed a proposed tax credit for companies that allow employees paid leave for school-related activities. In the coming years, among his priorities will be safeguarding LSU at Alexandria. In 2009, he also passed bills creating the Central Louisiana Regional Infrastructure Beltway Commission and a new crime covering “unauthorized participation in medical assistance programs.”
- Curtis’ tenure was marked by consistent support for public education. He repeatedly opposed any school voucher measures and attempted several times to pass legislation to increase retirement benefits for educators. If history is any judge, Dixon will continue in the same vein during his time in Baton Rouge. He campaigned heavily on his background in public education and received an endorsement from the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, of which he was a member for 24 years.
- Endorsements from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and the Teamsters also foretell support for economic development in central Louisiana.