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District Office
Legislative Assistant : Barbara Marrable
Email Downs, Hollis
Phone: (318)251-5039
Fax: (318)251-5091
Address: 207 W. Mississippi
Suite 300
Ruston, LA 71270
Map
Capitol House Switch Band: (225) 342-6945
Capitol House Fax: (225)342-8336
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- District #: House District 1
- Party: Republican
- Caucus Membership: Louisiana Republican Legislative Delegation
Louisiana Rural Caucus
- Occupation: Financial Planner
- Education: B.S. Louisiana Tech University;
CLU, ChFC, The American College - Spouse: Cathy
- Year Elected: 2003
- Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2016
- 2007 Election
Downs comes into a second term after facing no opposition -- quite a difference from the 2003 special election cycle where he bested his opponent by a mere 166 votes.
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Registered Voters by Parish: Lincoln 47.9%, Union 52.1%
Municipalities/Communities Represented: Bernice, Choudrant, Downsville, Dubach, Farmerville, Grambling, Junction City, Lillie, Marion, Ruston, Spearsville, Vienna
- Louisiana Map
- District Map
- Metro Map
Louisiana Tech is the driving economic force in the region, employing hundreds and garnering national kudos for its nanotechnology program. Incubator programs at Tech have served as a catalyst for start-up technology companies and small businesses that rely on the university for various resources.
The medical industry also plays a large role for both parishes. More than 40 doctors work in hospitals and clinics scattered throughout the district, which in turn creates hundreds of related positions. Still, the largest employers in the area remain Pilgrim’s Pride, Davison Transport and the two parish school systems.
Recent improvements to Lake D’Arbonne State Park have transformed it into a moneymaker for the area. New cabins, great fishing and picturesque beauty attract more than 100,000 visitors each year and the park is seen as a jumping-off point for a tourism revival.
Overall, the Ag Center at LSU, in partnership with the School of Forestry at Louisiana Tech, has identified value-added wood products as the single best growth opportunity for more jobs. Agriculture still has a firm hold in the district, especially in Ruston where those famed peaches are grown.
Social: There is a broad mix of social classes all across District 12, but most are socially conservative, with religion playing a big role in local decisions. Maintaining quality of life is high on most residents’ radar screens, especially in the Ruston area.
Political: There are no solid Republican or Democratic voting trends here. Instead, constituents stick with socially-conservative candidates. Both Democrats and Republicans have enjoyed recent success. Bobby Jindal carried the area in 2007.
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- Republican Hollis Downs is a financial planner who grew up in Farmerville and completed his undergraduate degree at Louisiana Tech. During his first year in office, Downs succeeded in transferring control of the local military museum to the Secretary of State’s Office, which means state funds now help promote and maintain it.
- Although unemployment rates are low, residents desperately need higher-paying, better jobs. Thus, Downs succeeded in getting a Downtown Economic District approved for Ruston to help create business opportunities. Furthermore, he helped create a new Downtown Development District in 2007 to work in concert with those efforts.
- Downs’ legislative focus remains on securing funds to plug into drainage projects in Ruston and the local Council on Aging facility. Given the large amount of timber harvested but shipped out, Downs also wants to concentrate on building up businesses that make finished products out of the raw wood instead of shipping those jobs elsewhere.
- Aside from supplying his colleagues with famous Ruston peaches, Downs is a limitless source of ideas for funding Louisiana’s transportation needs and those kinds of proposals are expected to continue in the coming years.
- A member of the House Transportation Committee, Hollis habitually introduces legislation to create funding mechanisms for highway improvements and has become one of the loudest supporters for upgrades. This role will likely increase in exposure and responsibility in coming years.
- To be certain, he’s a kindly figure in the lower chamber and colleagues have come to expect their baskets of Ruston peaches from Downs every session.
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