Sen. Jack Donahue (R)
District# 11,

• District # 11: House District 0
• Party: Republican
• Caucus Membership: --
• Occupation: Business Owner, DonahueFavret Contractors
• Education: Holy Cross High School; B.S. Louisiana State University; Tulane University
• Spouse: Maura
• Year Elected: 2008
• Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2020
• 2007 Election --
  

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• District Map
• Metro Map
• Economic: District 11 continues to be one of the wealthiest areas in all of Louisiana, with the median household income in St. Tammany Parish being almost $54,000 against the state median of $36,000. The district includes a large portion of St. Tammany Parish, the metro Slidell area and the southeast corner of Tangipahoa Parish. District 11 did have significant damage from Hurricanes Katrina/Rita, especially the eastern tip of the district which includes Slidell. Overall, the district’s population rose 7% overnight as a result of the flight from New Orleans, and the census shows that the population has risen 28.5% since 2000. Over 2,400 jobs were created between March 2005 and January 2007, and unemployment in St. Tammany parish fell to 3.6 % in 2006. Many residents raise their families here but commute to jobs in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes. Many north shore residents have also chosen to abandon the corporate world to become small local business owners. Individually owned retail stores, antiques shops and bed/breakfasts are becoming a major economic force in the district.
• Social: Quality of life is the name of the game in the community of District 11 which is overwhelmingly white. Residents treasure their good schools, peaceful atmosphere and upscale climate. The population boom, in part, has come from people abandoning the New Orleans metro area, and, in the process, crime has increased significantly, Slidell by 20% over 2005, Covington by 50%.
• Political: District 11 is one of the state’s most conservative areas. Residents are registered evenly between Democrats and Republicans, but in the 2004 presidential race, residents voted Republican 55% to 70% across the district. In the 2007 gubernatorial election, Bobby Jindal won handily with 61 percent of the vote in St. Tammany Parish and 74 percent in Tangipahoa Parish. Anti-tax sentiment runs high, and residents are concerned about protecting and preserving their way of life.

• In a three-way race, Donahue, who has 39 years’ experience in the contracting business and is the owner of a Mandeville contracting company, won election to the seat vacated by term-limited Tom Schedler. Donahue’s stated priorities include healthcare, transportation and crime prevention. Look for him working to be part of the new leadership in the Legislature, both on the north shore and in the state.
• As chairman of the recently-enacted Commission on Streamlining Government, Donahue will naturally be involved with a number of bills in coming years that seek to reshape the way agencies and departments operate. A true freshman, Donahue has also emerged as a strong voice for small businesses and economic development. As an aside, he has shown interest in passing laws that make it more difficult for local bodies to increase property taxes.
• During his campaign, Donahue proposed a five-point program to reduce crime. He also vowed to represent business interests, people, their children, grandchildren, neighbors and friends. He plans to improve healthcare by returning more of communities’ investments in programs to the residents.
• His experience as a Causeway commissioner will play a role in his transportation agenda, which is to seek new methods for the funding of north shore roads and to find innovative solutions for the area’s traffic problems. He also intends to support bringing new industries to Louisiana, noting that improvements in the healthcare system, transportation, education, insurance and coastal erosion are the priorities of relocating businesses.