Jimmy Hayes

Infobox_Congressman
name =Jimmy Hayes


date of birth=Birth date and age|1946|12|21|mf=y
place of birth =Lafayette, Louisiana
state = Louisiana
district = 7th
term =1987–1997
preceded = John B. Breaux
succeeded = Chris John
party =Democrat
Republican
religion = Roman Catholic
spouse =

James Allison "Jimmy" Hayes (born December 21, 1946) is a Republican politician from the state of Louisiana.

Hayes was born in Lafayette, and he graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (then the University of Southwestern Louisiana). Hayes served in the Louisiana Air National Guard from 1968 to 1974. He was elected to the House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1986 for the seat vacated by John B. Breaux, the candidate chosen to succeed the retiring U.S. Senator Russell B. Long. Hayes He defeated five opponents, including fellow Democrats Margaret Lowenthal of Lake Charles and James David Cain of Dry Creek in Beauregard Parish, both of whom were state representatives, and the Republican educator David Thibodaux (1953–2007) of Lafayette.

In 1990, Hayes again defeated David Thibodaux. The tally was 103,308 (58 percent) for Hayes, 68,430 (38 percent) for Thibodaux, and 7,364 (4 percent) for Democrat Johnny Myers.

In 1992, Hayes defeated his own brother, Fredric Hayes, a Republican, with whom he had quarreled. Hayes received 84,149 (73 percent) to his brother's 23,870 (21 percent). A second Republican, Robert J. "Bob" Nain polled 7,184 votes (6 percent).

In 1994, Hayes defeated a comeback bid by former Eighth District Congressman Clyde C. Holloway of Forest Hill in Rapides Parish. Hayes polled 72,424 votes (53 percent) to Holloway's 54,253 (40 percent). Another 7 percent of voters supported a candidate who ran as "no party." In that same election, Hayes' former rival, David Thibodaux, was first elected without opposition to the Lafayette Parish School Board.

Hayes left the Democrats on December 1, 1995, and joined the Republican Party. He was one of several conservative Democratic congressmen, mostly from the South, to switch to the Republican party around that time, as the Republicans had taken majorities in Congress in the 1994 elections. Hayes then ran for the United States Senate in 1996. He finished fifth in the Republican jungle primary with almost 72,000 votes (6 percent). The slot went to Louis E. "Woody" Jenkins of Baton Rouge who then lost in the General Election to Democrat Mary Landrieu.

In 1997, when Hayes retired from the House after unsuccessfully running for Senate, his House seat was taken by Democrat Chris John of Crowley, the seat of Acadia Parish.

References