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April 15, 2015
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April 15, 2015
A well-known coastal advocate has announced his candidacy for the state House of Representatives seat to be vacated by state Rep. Gordon Dove.
Jerome “Zee” Zeringue, director of Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, who spent 10 years as director of the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District, announced his intentions last week, asking voters to allow him to succeed Dove, a term-limited legislator who has already made a strong local mark on coastal protection.
Dove is running for Terrebonne Parish President.
“I’ve always derived strength from those principles my family instilled in me at a young age – faith in God, hard work, a belief in conservative principles and a deep desire to help others,” said Zeringue, a Republican. “Those are the qualities that have guided me throughout my professional career and that’s exactly the kind of attitude I want to take to Baton Rouge as the next state representative from this area.”
Zeringue grew up in a Thibodaux working-class family. His father worked as a cable repairman for 41 years and his mother taught school for more than 30 years. Zeringue graduated from Thibodaux High and says he worked his way through college. Much of that time, he said, was spent working within the House and in the House Clerk’s Office, while earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Louisiana State University.
During his time as CPRA director, Zeringue’s announcement states, “more Louisianans were provided with storm surge protection than ever before and more acres of Louisiana’s coast were restored than any other period in the state’s history.”
Among his duties was representing Louisiana as its On-Scene Coordinator during the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He also assisted in the development and approval of the $50 billion coastal Master Plan aimed at restoring and protecting Louisiana’s coast.
“In addition, Zeringue was instrumental in the development of the state’s Flood Protection Emergency Response Plan,” his announcement states.
“We have many challenges ahead as a state. From reforming our state budget, to improving our education system and funding higher education, to ensuring that coastal restoration and flood protection remain a high priority,” Zeringue said. “Now more than ever, we need leaders who understand how to get it done in Baton Rouge. We need results, not excuses and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get the job done,” Zeringue said.
Zeringue lives in Houma with his wife of 20 years, Julie Daigle Zeringue, a teacher at Mulberry Elementary School. They have one son, Zachary, who is 16 years old.
Zeringue and his family are parishioners of St. Francis de Sales Co-Cathedral. His bachelor’s degree is in zoology and the master’s he holds is in fisheries biology.
If elected, Zeringue said, he will immediately focus on streamlining government, reforming education to give parents and students greater choice and access and ensuring growth for business.
House District 52 encompasses parts of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes.
A primary election will be held Oct. 24. If no contender receives at least half of the vote plus one, there will be a runoff election Nov. 21.
