Bryan Wagner

"For the football player of the same name see Bryan Wagner (football player)."

Bryan James Wagner (born 1943) was the first Republican since Reconstruction to be elected to the New Orleans City Council. He was elected in 1980 to fill a vacancy of an unexpired term in District A. He served until 1982.

In the April 5 jungle primary, he polled 5,513 votes (24.4 percent) and went into the May 17 general election against Democrat Flo Schornstein, who polled 7,037 (31.2 percent). Five other Democratic candidates received 44.4 percent in the primary. Wagner secured considerable Democratic support and went on to defeat Mrs. Schornstein, 11,900 votes (51.2 percent) to 11,353 ballots (48.8 percent). [State of Louisiana, Special election, Orleans Parish, May 17, 1980]

Since Wagner's tenure, only a few Republicans have been elected to the council, most recently Peggy Wilson, an unsuccessful candidate for mayor in the 2006 primary. Suzanne Haik Terrell, the last Louisiana elections commissioner and the failed Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and for state attorney general in 2003, started her political career on the New Orleans City Council too.

In 1986, Wagner was named Republican national committeeman from Louisiana to succeed Frank Spooner of Monroe, who stepped down after nine years in the position. He has continued to be active in the Louisiana Republican Party. Wagner headed the Louisiana delegation in 2008 to the convention in Minneapolis, which nominated the McCain-Palin ticket. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal did not attend the convention because of pressing business created by Hurricane Gustav.

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