Rep. Harrison, Joe

House Member

Rep. Harrison, Joe (R)
District# 51, Gray

Contact Information

District Office
Legislative Assistant : Vickie Larke
Email Joe Harrison
Phone: (800)935-2081
Fax: (985)655-9011
Address: P.O. Drawer 1809
Gray, LA 70359
Map
Capitol House Switch Band: (225) 342-6945
Capitol House Fax: (225)342-8336

Profile

- District #: House District 1
- Party: Republican
- Caucus Membership: Acadiana Delegation, Louisiana Republican Legislative Delegation, Louisiana Rural Caucus
- Occupation: Financial Planner
- Education: Nicholls State University, Business Management
- Spouse: Susan
- Year Elected: 2007
- Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2020
- 2007 Election
  Harrison edged out incumbent Rep. Carla Blanchard Dartez, a Democrat from Morgan City, with 57% of the vote. Out of all of the legislative races fought in 2007, this was one of the surprises. Dartez was hit with a wave of negative press resulting from several missteps and Harrison, with the help of GOP backers, managed to put the district in the Republican column for the first time in recent history.

District Profile

Registered Voters by Parish: Assumption 20.1%, St. Mary 36.3%, Terrebonne 43.6%
Municipalities/Communities Represented: Amelia, Dulac, Gray, Labadieville,
Morgan City, Pierre Part, Shriever, Supreme
- Louisiana Map
- District Map
- Metro Map
Economic: District 51 includes parts of rural Terrebonne Parish, southern Assumption Parish and eastern St. Mary, including Morgan City. The district is heavily dependent on the offshore oil and gas industry, which provides both white-collar and blue-collar jobs. J. Ray McDermott, an offshore platform fabricator, is one of the area’s largest employers. The district’s industrial corridor is dotted with fabrication shops, repair yards and marine service companies. Bollinger Shipyards operates a number of repair yards. The Terrebonne Parish portion of the district is primarily dependent on commercial and recreational fishing activities. The Assumption Parish portion is rural and sugarcane is the primary crop.

Social: The district is socially diverse, with residents spanning all socioeconomic classes. There is a large community of Houmas Indians in Dulac along Bayou Grand Caillou and a significant Vietnamese population in Amelia. Most residents tend to be hard-working and middle-class.

Political: The district is split politically, with business and working-class-viewpoints represented. Residents typically lean toward conservative candidates. However, the population is more than 60 percent Democrat, with Republicans making up about 17 percent of registered voters. The district also is about 25 percent African American.

Biography

- Republican Joe Harrison comes to the House with a wealth of experience in local politics. He is a former police jury president and school board member from Assumption Parish. His wife is also an educator and principal, so education could become a topic of interest for Harrison in the House.
- A member of the Appropriations Committee, Harrison is always on the lookout for economic development opportunities for Assumption Parish. He has also shown an interest in recent years in legislation that seeks to crackdown on illegal immigrants in Louisiana’s workforce.
- He supports critical reforms starting in kindergarten through the fourth-grade level. This is a bracket where Harrison believes the state’s best qualified teachers should be placed. He has stated in the past he would oppose any unfunded mandates on schools.
- Coastal-related issues, however, topped Harrison’s campaign platform in 2007. In fact, coastal restoration and management, as well as fisheries and hurricane protection, should be critical issues for Harrison in his first term.
- On health care, expect Harrison to take a business approach. He believes the private sector, not government, should be leading the way. He is likewise a proponent of preventive programs for diabetes and obesity – especially if they’re linked to the public school systems.
- In his private life, he is the managing partner of Harrison Financial Services, a financial planning business.