Conservative Rep. Tony Bacala has been elected as vice chairman of the Louisiana House GOP Caucus, a move that seemingly signals a tightening grip by the far-right on the lower chamber of the state Legislature.
The USA Today Network of Louisiana reports Bacala, a first-term state representative from Prairieville, ran for the position against Rep. Chris Leopold, R-Belle Chasse, who is considered more moderate among Republicans.
The secret ballot vote was 29-26 in favor of Bacala, multiple members of the caucus say. Six members didn’t vote.
“It’s not a shift. The body was conservative before this vote,” says Bacala, who replaces former Rep. John Shroder, R-Covington—another staunch fiscal conservative.
Schroder resigned his seat to run for state treasurer. Bacala says he considered himself to be more moderate before arriving in the Legislature.
“Maybe I was a little more conservative than I thought,” he says.
That’s certainly the impression of House Democratic Caucus Chairman Gene Reynolds, D-Minden, who calls Bacala “very, very, very conservative.”
Reynolds adds that he likes Bacala personally, but his election as vice president of the House GOP Caucus is “not a move toward the middle.”
