Rep. Perry, Jonathan W.(R)
District# 47, Abbeville

• District # 47: House District 1
• Party: Republican
• Caucus Membership: Acadiana Delegation, Chairman
  Louisiana Republican Legislative Delegation
  Louisiana Rural Caucus
• Occupation: Attorney
• Education: Kaplan High School, 1991; Northeast Louisiana University, 1995, B.A. Criminal Justice and Sociology; Southern Law Center, J.D.
  
• Spouse: Christine
• Year Elected: 2007
• Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2020
• 2007 Election
  Perry turned back two Democratic challengers in the October 2007 primary. He carried 40 of the district’s 47 precincts and took 55 percent of the vote.
  

• Louisiana Map
• District Map
• Metro Map
• Economic: District 47 is made of up of most of Vermilion Parish and all of Cameron Parish, two of the areas most heavily damaged by Hurricane Rita in 2005. The storm and its surge inundated the region, destroying homes and businesses and crippling agricultural resources. Sugarcane, rice, soybeans and cattle production, the mainstays of the district’s farming economy were all affected, as was the commercial fishing industry that is based along the extensive coastline of Vermilion and Cameron parishes.
  In the two years since the storm, the region has bounded back. Residents continue the rebuilding process, although some FEMA trailers remain. The oil industry and its service sector have also experienced a boom that has contributed to the recovery process.
• Social: District 47 is dominated by Cajun Catholic families who are for the most part comfortable financially. There are pockets of poverty in Kaplan, Abbeville, in the coastal marshes and in other rural areas. Although a healthy recovery is taking place, the district continues to feel some affects of Hurricane Rita.
• Political: The rapidly disappearing Louisiana coastline is of special importance to this district. Its fishermen and hunters have spearheaded efforts to raise environmental awareness among the voting population. In fact, sportsmen hold such political sway in the parish that former Rep. Mickey Frith authored several pieces of legislation at their behest, including bills that allowed that allowed mechanical calling to be used for geese hunting and another to allow deer hunters to use scopes on their black powder guns. Naturally, the rights of gun owners are of particular importance here and, while resoundingly Democratic, the heavy French Catholic population often supports conservative candidates who share their views on social issues, such as abortion.

• Jonathan W. Perry comes to the Louisiana House with strong law enforcement and business-friendly credentials. A former sergeant with the Kaplan Police Department, he also served as an assistant district attorney in the 15th Judicial District, which includes Vermilion, Lafayette and Acadia parishes. He is currently an attorney in private practice. Perry is also an accomplished comedian and has released multiple DVD’s of his stand-up routines.
• As a member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, Perry will have a hand in addressing in the state’s fledgling revenue stream, especially in the 2011 regular session when lawmakers can file tax bills. Perry is also interested in the criminal justice arena and is working on legislation that would address how and when parole can be extended upon completion of monetary obligations.
• While pursuing his Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law Center, Perry served a term on the Kaplan City Council, the youngest elected official in his hometown’s history.
• He is a member of the business advisory committee at Louisiana Technical College’s Gulf Area Campus the chambers of commerce in Abbeville and Kaplan. He received endorsements from the LABI, Vermilion Association of Educators, the LAE and the Louisiana Restaurant Association.
• Perry campaigned on limited financial disclosure for legislators, favoring disclosure of the source of the money rather than the amount. He supports health care for the state’s poor, increased teacher pay and tax credits for parents who choose to send their children to private schools.