John Stefanski
| John Michael Stefanski | |
 | |
Louisiana State Representative
for District 42 (Acadia and Lafayette parishes) | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office April 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Jack Montoucet |
|---|---|
| Born | April 13, 1984 Crowley, Acadia Parish Louisiana |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Louisiana State University
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
John Michael Stefanski (born April 13, 1984) is an attorney in his native Crowley, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 42. He won a special election on March 25, 2017, to fill the seat vacated by the Democrat Representative Jack Montoucet, who resigned from the legislature to join the administration of Governor John Bel Edwards as the secretary of wildlife and fisheries.
In a turnout of less than 26 percent of registered voters, Stefanski received 3,594 (54 percent) to his fellow Republican Jay Suire's 3,037 (46 percent). No Democrat sought to succeed Montoucet.[1] Two other Republicans, Raymond Crews in District 8 and Joe Stagni in District 92, also won special elections in 2017 to fill vacancies. In those cases, the seats had previous Republican legislators.
Stefanski graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and the Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans. He is a partner in the firm Edwards, Stefanski & Zaunbrecher. He is a lector at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church. He is a member of the Crowley Chamber of Commerce and formerly sat on the Acadia Parish Planning Commission. He is a volunteer basketball coach for St. Michael's Elementary School in Crowley. He is a member of the hunting organization Ducks Unlimited and the National Rifle Association.[2]
Stefanski has opposed Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards push for higher taxes. "It would be very hard for me to get there [to support higher taxes]. I would have to be confident that there was a reduction in government spending. We have a duty to make sure we are reducing government in line with what the private sector is doing.”[3]
Stefanski joins Democrats in choosing House Speaker
Stefanski ran without opposition for a full legislative term in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 12, 2019.
On January 13, 2020, Stefanski was among twenty-three Republican lawmakers who voted for the Moderate Republican Clay Schexnayder of Ascension Parish, whose election as Speaker, sixty to forty-five, depended on thirty-five Democratic votes, two Independent lawmakers, and the Republican defectors. Conservative radio commentator Moon Griffon called the dissidents the Fraud Squad because the dissidents blocked the conservative majority in the Republican caucus by joining with Democrats and the Black Caucus to choose a Speaker opposed by a majority of Republican lawmakers.[4]
References
- ↑ Election Returns. Louisiana Secretary of State (March 25, 2017). Retrieved on May 4, 2017.
- ↑ About John Stefanski. votestefanski.com. Retrieved on May 4, 2017.
- ↑ Tyler Bridges (June 8, 2018). 20 Republicans in Louisiana House will decide fate of 1/2-cent sales tax renewal in next special session. The Baton Rouge Advocate. Retrieved on June 11, 2018.
- ↑ The Moon Griffon Show, January 23, 2020.
