Richard Burford

Infobox_State Representative
name= Richard T. "Richie" Burford


caption= Louisiana State Representative Richard T. Burford
office= flagicon|Louisiana Louisiana State Representative from District 7 (Caddo and De Soto parishes)
term_start=January 14, 2008
term_end=
preceded=Beverly G. Bruce
succeeded=Incumbent
office2=Member of De Soto Parish Police Jury
term_start2=1996
term_end2=2008
birth_date= birth date and age|1946|8|19
birth_place=
death_date=
spouse=
children=
party= Republican
religion=
occupation= Beef and dairy farmer
footnotes=Burford is the first Republican since Reconstruction to represent De Soto Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives.

Richard T. "Richie" Burford (born August 19, 1946) is a beef and dairy farmer who is a freshman Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 7 (southern Caddo and De Soto parishes in the northwestern portion of the state). He is the first Republican to represent De Soto Parish since Reconstruction. Burford resides in Stonewall in De Soto Parish. [ [http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/members.asp?ID=7 Louisiana House of Representatives - Internet Portal ] ] Prior to his legislative service, which began on January 14, 2008, Burford was one of eleven members of the De Soto Parish Police Jury (the parish governing council), having represented District 3 since 1996. He is a member of the De Soto Parish Chamber of Commerce. [ [http://desotoparishchamber.net/members.htm Members ] ] As a legislator, Burford is a pledged supporter of Blueprint Louisiana, an interest group which proposes reforms in the way Louisiana conducts its state government. [ [http://www.blueprintlouisiana.org/candidates_shreveport.cfm : Blueprint Louisiana - To Fundamentally Improve Louisiana : ] ]

In the general election held on November 17, 2007, Burford handily defeated Democrat Kenny Ray Cox of Mansfield, 4,993 (63 percent) to 2,990 (37 percent) to win the House seat. [ [http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcms3&rqsdta=111707 Louisiana Secretary of State-Multi-Parish Elections Inquiry ] ] In the October 20 jungle primary, Burford and Cox led three other candidates, Republican Dennis Freeman, the since deceased mayor of Logansport in De Soto Parish, and Democrats Hilda Fair Rives and John G. Russell. [ [http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcms3&rqsdta=102007 Louisiana Secretary of State-Multi-Parish Elections Inquiry ] ] Burford succeeded term-limited Democrat Beverly G. Bruce, who was first elected in District 7 in 1995, when she defeated the Republican Tommy G. Armstrong, 7,027 (53 percent) to 62,35 (47 percent). Bruce ran without opposition in both 1999 and 2003. [ [http://www400.sos.louisiana.gov:8090/cgibin/?rqstyp=elcms3&rqsdta=111895 Louisiana Secretary of State-Multi-Parish Elections Inquiry ] ] In an interview with the "Shreveport Times", Burford cited ethics as among his legislative priorities: "I am certainly interested in seeing a good ethics package passed [and] the completion of Interstate 49 [and] Highway 3276, a connector between U.S. Highway 171 and I-49 in the Stonewall area. Fiscal responsibility and priority spending are big issues with me." [ [http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20080110&Category=OPINION03&ArtNo=801100311&Template=printart The Shreveport Times ] ]

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