Ray Garofalo

Raymond Edward "Ray" Garofalo, Jr.
Louisiana State Representative for District 103 (Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard parishes)
In office January 2012 – January 2024
Preceded by	Reed S. Henderson
Succeeded by	Pending results of runoff election
Born	September 9, 1958
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Joan Seibert Garofalo
Residence	Meraux, St. Bernard Parish
Alma mater	Loyola University New Orleans Loyola Law School
Occupation	Attorney
Religion	Roman Catholic

Raymond Edward Garofalo, Jr., known as Ray Garofalo (born September 9, 1958),^[1] is a lawyer and businessman from St. Bernard Parish in southeastern Louisiana, who is a Republican departing member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 103, which encompasses primarily St. Bernard Parish and four precincts each from neighboring Orleans and Plaquemines parishes.

Garofalo (pronounced GAH RAFF A LOW or GARO FOLLOW) is a graduate of two Roman Catholic institutions in New Orleans, Loyola University and the Loyola Law School.^[2]

Considered a conservative prior to 2020, Garofalo won the state House position in the general election held on November 19, 2011, when he defeated the Democrat, Chad Lauga, 7,153 (53.3 percent) to 6,262 (46.7 percent).^[3] The incumbent Democrat, Reed S. Henderson, did not seek reelection.

Garofalo was narrowly reelected in the general election held on November 21, 2015, having defeated the Democrat Casey Hunnicutt, 6,562 (51.9 percent) to 6,079 (48.1 percent).^[4]

Garofalo resides with his wife, the former Joan Seibert (born June 1960), in Meraux, a census designated place in St. Bernard Parish.

Garofalo joins Democrats in choosing House Speaker

Garofalo won his third term without opposition in the nonpartisan blanket primary on October 12, 2019. On January 13, 2020, he was among twenty-three Republican lawmakers, known as the Fraud Squad, who voted for the Moderate Republican Clay Schexnayder of Ascension Parish, whose election as Speaker depended heavily on the votes of thirty-five Democratic lawmakers, along with two Independent legislators, and the Republican defectors.

Garofalo was named the chairman of the House Education Committee. Schexnayder, however, proved disloyal to Garofalo, who had joined the Fraud Squad to make Schnexyader the Speaker. The removal occurred because of a comment that Garofalo uttered in committee, "the good, the bad, the ugly" of slavery, went viral. The Black Caucus demanded Garofalo's removal as chairman as a condition for the thirty-five African-American legislators to support "tax reform" in the legislative session. Tanner Magee of Houma in Terrebonne Parish, the House Majority Leader and integral part of the Fraud Squad, said that Schexnayder met with Garofalo, but the disagreement could not be resolved.^[5]

Term-limited in the House, Garofalo unsuccessfully contested the District 1 seat in the Louisiana State Senate in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 14, 2023. He was defeated, 61 to 39 percent, by another Republican, Robert "Bob" Owen. The seat was vacated by a failed gubernatorial candidate, Republican Sharon Hewitt. Seeking to succeed Garofalo in the House are Republicans "Mike" Bayham and Richard "Richie" Lewis, who with 47 and 32 percent, respectively, of the primary vote, now meet in a November runoff election. Eliminated from that race was the Democrat Stacy Riley, Sr., who polled 22 percent in the initial balloting.^[6]

On March 23, 2024, Garofalo was elected with 65 percent of the vote to the District 1G seat on the Republican State Central Committee.