Warren "Puggy" Moity

Warren James Moity, Sr., known as Puggy Moity (April 10, 1923 – January 9, 1997), ^[1] was a colorful Democratic politician from New Iberia, Louisiana. Considered to be in the mold of the popular Governor Earl Kemp Long, Moity was known for scurrilous attacks on political figures.^[2]

Though he never held office himself, Moity was one of seventeen primary candidates for governor in 1971. In that race, he accused frontrunner and final winner Edwin Edwards of being homosexual. Edwards responded by approaching Moity at a campaign gathering at the Capitol House Hotel in Baton Rouge and kissed him on the cheek, evoking much laughter from those in the room. Moity polled 8,965 votes, less than 1 percent of the total ballots cast. He ran for the Louisiana State Senate while seeking the governorship. He also ran on several occasions for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district seat, since reconfigured.^[2]

In 1975, he ran for state insurance commissioner against fellow Democrat Sherman Albert Bernard, Sr. (1925-2012) at the behest of Bernard's principal opponent, former Mayor Victor H. Schiro of New Orleans. Schiro wanted Moity to attack Bernard so that Schiro could rise above the mudslinging.^[3] Bernard, however, won his second term in the office, as Schiro finished with just 16 percent of the ballots cast.

Often Moity purchased half-hour television spots as a forum to ridicule candidates that he opposed. Many responded to the broadcasts though they had no intention of voting for Moity himself. Later, a critic set off a bomb under Moity's car, and though he was not injured, most of his political attacks ceased thereafter.^[4]

Moity and his wife, the former Velma Richard (1926-2017), a native of Opelousas in St. Landry Parish, had three children: Margaret Coco (born July 18, 1946) and husband Myron "Buddy" Coco of New Iberia, Patricia Casey (born February 19, 1950) and husband Leonhard E. Casey of New Orleans, and son, Warren Moity, Jr. (born August 23, 1962), and wife Marylaura Coulter Moity of Mandeville in St. Tammany Parish. The Moitys are interred at Memorial Park Cemetery in New Iberia.^[5]