Mike Foster

This article is about the politician Mike Foster. For other people, see Michael Foster .

Mike Foster

Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr. (born July 11, 1930 in Shreveport , Louisiana ) is a former American politician . He was governor of the state of Louisiana from 1996 to 2004 .

Early years

Mike Foster is the grandson of Murphy J. Foster , who served as Louisiana Governor from 1892 to 1900 and US Senator from 1900 to 1913 . His father, Murphy J. Foster, was a wealthy sugar planter who was also involved in the oil and gas business. The young Foster attended high school in Franklin and then studied chemistry until 1952 at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge . During the Korean War , he was a US Air Force pilot between 1952 and 1955 . On his return he devoted himself to his family's sugar cane plantation. In the years that followed he made considerable fortunes in this profession. He also became the owner of a construction company.

Political rise

Foster's political career did not begin until 1987, when he was a member of the Democratic Party . Between 1988 and 1996 he was a member of the Louisiana Senate . During this time he switched to the Republicans , as their candidate he was elected the new governor of his state in 1996. His supporters also included David Duke , the former leader of the Ku Klux Klan , who sold him an address book for his election campaign for $ 150,000. These expenses were never officially reported by Foster as campaign expenses, for which he was later reprimanded and fined.

Louisiana Governor

Mike Foster took up his new position on January 12, 1996. After being re-elected, he could remain in office until March 8, 2004. As governor, he supported the interests of business people and big business. This earned him criticism from the liberal side. Under Governor Foster, the school system was reformed and brought to about the same level as that of the other southern states . Although Foster was originally an opponent of gambling, he later became an advocate of the institution. In 2000 he was the campaign leader for George W. Bush in Louisiana.

Another résumé

Today, Mike Foster lives in retirement with his wife Alice on his Franklin estate in St. Mary Parish . The couple have four children.

Web links

• Mike Foster in the National Governors Association (English)
• The governors of Louisiana (English)