Frank A. Howard, also known as Frankie Howard (born ca. 1939), is a former sheriff of Vernon Parish

Vernon Parish, Louisiana

Vernon Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Leesville and as of 2000, the population was 52,531....

 in western Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

, who has been since 2008 a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 member of the Louisiana House of Representatives

Louisiana State Legislature

The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...

 from District 24, which includes De Soto

De Soto Parish, Louisiana

-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 26,656 people, 9,691 households, and 6,967 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 11,204 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...

, Red River

Red River Parish, Louisiana

Red River Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Coushatta. It was one of the newer parishes created in 1871 by the state legislature under Reconstruction...

, Sabine

Sabine Parish, Louisiana

Sabine Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Many. In 2010, the parish's population was 24,233....

, and Vernon parishes.

Howard studied in the continuing education program at Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...

 in Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...

. He is also a graduate of the National Sheriff's Institute. Howard is a member of the House committees on (1) Administration of Criminal Justice, (2) Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development and (3) Transportation, Highways, and Public Works. He is also a member of the Louisiana Rural Caucus.

Howard succeeded the former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Joe Salter, who was term-limited in the 2007 election. In the November 17, 2007 general election

General election

In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...

, Howard defeated the Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 Mary Ann Wiggins, 4,333 (52.6 percent) to 3,898 (47.4 percent). In the primary on October 20, Howard led three Democrats with 31 percent of the vote. Wiggins trailed with 28 percent and as the second-highest votegetter entered the second round of balloting with Howard.

Howard, then a Democrat, was unopposed for sheriff of Vernon Parish in 1983. In 1987, he won again as sheriff with 79 percent of the vote over another Vernon Parish Democrat, Scott McCloud. He won his last term as sheriff of Vernon Parish in 1995, with 77 percent of the vote against another Democrat, Teresa Rushing-Miller. In 2003, he sought a comeback in the race for sheriff but lost to the Democratic incumbent Sam Craft, who polled 67 percent of the vote that year.

Howard and his wife, the former Betty Cavanaugh, reside in Florien

Florien, Louisiana

Florien is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 692 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Florien is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land....

in Sabine Parish. Howard is unopposed for reelection in the nonpartisan blanket primary set for October 22, 2011.