Gil Pinac
Encyclopedia
Gillis James Pinac, known as Gil Pinac (born November 29, 1957) is a former 12-year Democratic
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from Crowley
, the seat of Acadia Parish. He switched his affiliation to Republican
a week before announcing his candidacy for the Louisiana Public Service Commission
in the special election held on April 4, 2009.
Pinac ran third in the election. As he conceded defeated on election night, Pinac endorsed his fellow Republican, former U.S. Representative Clyde C. Holloway
. Holloway led narrowly in the initial balloting with 32,258 votes (43.50 percent) to Democrat State Senator
Joe McPherson
of Woodworth
, also in Rapides Parish, who received 31,610 votes (42.63 percent). Pinac trailed with 10,280 ballots (13.86 percent), but he won his home parish of Acadia and polled four votes more than Holloway and McPherson, who tied with 120 votes each, in tiny Cameron Parish
on the Gulf of Mexico
. McPherson's greatest strength was in Calcasieu Parish – Lake Charles
– where he led 11,178 (50.40 percent) to Holloway's 7,873 (35.50 percent), and Pinac's 3,127 (14.10 percent). Holloway's total in Calcasieu – Lake Charles
– was also his single largest parish total. The home of both runoff candidates, Rapides Parish, in a low turnout cast 6,527 ballots for Holloway, 5,327 for McPherson, and 791 for Pinac.
administrator, the CEO of Pin Mark Enterprises in Lafayette
. He graduated from the parochial school
, Notre Dame High School of Acadia Parish, and holds a bachelor of science
degree in business administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He procured his Master of Business Administration
from Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge. Pinac is married to the former Cherie Arceneaux, and is the father of four daughters: Lauren, Andrea, Kelli, and Mary Catherine. The family holds membership at St. Michael's Catholic
Church in Crowley.
Prior to his legislative service, Pinac was as a member of the Crowley City Council
from 1987–1995 and served for a time as mayor pro-tem.
held on October 21, 1995, when he defeated his fellow Democrat Isabella L. DelaHoussaye (born April 24, 1939) of Crowley, 6,512 (55.9 percent) to 5,148 ballots (44.2 percent). Pinac succeeded Representative Christopher Charles John
of Crowley, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor
in 1995. In 1996, John was elected to the United States House of Representatives
.
In the Louisiana House, Pinac was chairman of the Commerce Committee. He maintained a pro-life
voting record. In other legislative votes, Pinac opposed (1) human cloning
, (2) the restoration of mortgage interest deductions for Louisiana state income tax
es, and (3) placing constitutional limits on state spending. He supported (1) more slot machine
s at horse racing tracks, (2) permitting public officials to be employed by casino
s, (3) allowing bars to be located near churches, and (4) tuition
tax deductions for private schools. Pinac was unopposed for his second and third terms in 1999 and 2003.
Limited to three terms in the state House, Pinac instead ran as a Democrat in the primary held on October 20, 2007, for the District 25 seat in the state senate seat vacated by another Democrat-turned-Republican, Gerald Theunissen
(born 1933) of Jennings
, the seat of Jefferson Davis Parish. In that same election, he was a strong backer of the Democrat Bob Odom
, who was eliminated from another term as state commissioner of agriculture
and forestry
. Pinac led in the primary with 13,437 votes (38.5 percent) and went into the general election
with Republican Dan "Blade" Morrish
of Jennings, who trailed in the first round of balloting with 11,145 (32 percent). A third candidate, Republican Mark T. Abraham (born November 13, 1953), the president of the Lake Charles Port Authority, a member of the Lake Charles City Council from 1989–1992, and a former LSU football
player ran third with a crucial 10,294 votes (29.5 percent) In the November 17 general election, with a much lower turnout, Morrish prevailed with 11,186 (53.9 percent) to Pinac's 9,556 (46 percent). After his failure to win the state Senate seat, Pinac switched parties just prior to announcing that he would run for the PSC. Isabella delaHoussaye also switched to Republican affiliation and ran for the House seat again in 2007, but she was defeated by the Democrat Jack Montoucet, 57-43 percent.
of Eunice
on the PSC, who served from 1995–2008, when he resigned to accept the directorship of the Louisiana Offshore Port Authority, known by the acronym LOOP. Sittig is also a former member of the Louisiana House from neighboring District 41. A runoff election for the PSC seat was cancelled, when Democrat McPherson, who lost to Sittig in a previous special election in 1995, withdrew from the race. McPherson was reelected in his District 29 Senate seat in 2007 with 69 percent of the vote in the jungle primary
against a fellow Democrat. Holloway won the position automatically without the need for a runoff election.
In his statement of candidacy, Pinac claims that he would "fight to get more power to you, the Louisiana consumer. I will take a common sense
approach while working to keep electric rates fair, encourage the development of new sources of reliable, affordable, clean energy, and demand the safe and quick return of power to our homes and businesses after disasters strike our state. Our day-to-day lives are affected every time we flip that electrical switch, and in these difficult economic times, we should get what we pay for: safe, reliable, and reasonably-priced electricity and other utilities."
In addition to Acadia, the PSC district includes all or part of seventeen parishes: Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula (part), Evangeline, Grant, Jeff Davis, La Salle, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, St. Landry, St. Martin (part), Vermilion, and Vernon.
The PSC has jurisdiction over publicly-owned utilities providing electric, water, waste water, natural gas
, and telecommunication services in addition to all the electric cooperatives in Louisiana. The PSC also regulates intrastate transportation, including passenger carrier services, waste haulers, household goods carriers, non-consensual towing, and intrastate pipelines.
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...
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana House of Representatives
The Louisiana House of Representatives is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the US state of Louisiana. The House is composed of 105 Representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people . Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of...
from Crowley
Crowley, Louisiana
Crowley is a city in and the parish seat of Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 14,225 at the 2000 census. The city is noted for its annual International Rice Festival. Crowley has the nickname of "Rice Capital of America", because at one time it was a major center for...
, the seat of Acadia Parish. He switched his affiliation to 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...
a week before announcing his candidacy for the Louisiana Public Service Commission
Louisiana Public Service Commission
Louisiana Public Service Commission is an independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers in Louisiana. The commission has five elected members chosen in single-member districts for staggered six-year terms...
in the special election held on April 4, 2009.
Pinac ran third in the election. As he conceded defeated on election night, Pinac endorsed his fellow Republican, former U.S. Representative Clyde C. Holloway
Clyde C. Holloway
Clyde Cecil Holloway is an American small business owner from Forest Hill in the southern part of Rapides Parish who is one of five members of the Louisiana Public Service Commission. He also served as a conservative Republican member of the U.S...
. Holloway led narrowly in the initial balloting with 32,258 votes (43.50 percent) to Democrat State Senator
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...
Joe McPherson
Joe McPherson
William Joseph "Joe" McPherson, Jr., is a retiring veteran Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from Woodworth, a small community south of Alexandria, Louisiana, the seat of government of Rapides Parish and the largest city in the Central Louisiana region...
of Woodworth
Woodworth, Louisiana
Woodworth is a town in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,080 at the 2000 census....
, also in Rapides Parish, who received 31,610 votes (42.63 percent). Pinac trailed with 10,280 ballots (13.86 percent), but he won his home parish of Acadia and polled four votes more than Holloway and McPherson, who tied with 120 votes each, in tiny Cameron Parish
Cameron Parish, Louisiana
Cameron Parish is the parish with the most land area in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Cameron and as of 2010, the population was 6,839...
on the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. McPherson's greatest strength was in Calcasieu Parish – Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
– where he led 11,178 (50.40 percent) to Holloway's 7,873 (35.50 percent), and Pinac's 3,127 (14.10 percent). Holloway's total in Calcasieu – Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
– was also his single largest parish total. The home of both runoff candidates, Rapides Parish, in a low turnout cast 6,527 ballots for Holloway, 5,327 for McPherson, and 791 for Pinac.
Background
Pinac is a hospitalHospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
administrator, the CEO of Pin Mark Enterprises in Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
. He graduated from the parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
, Notre Dame High School of Acadia Parish, and holds a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in business administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He procured his Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from 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. Pinac is married to the former Cherie Arceneaux, and is the father of four daughters: Lauren, Andrea, Kelli, and Mary Catherine. The family holds membership at St. Michael's Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Church in Crowley.
Prior to his legislative service, Pinac was as a member of the Crowley City Council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
from 1987–1995 and served for a time as mayor pro-tem.
Campaign history
Pinac was first elected to the District 42 seat in the state legislature in the jungle primaryJungle primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Under this system, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, as in a runoff election...
held on October 21, 1995, when he defeated his fellow Democrat Isabella L. DelaHoussaye (born April 24, 1939) of Crowley, 6,512 (55.9 percent) to 5,148 ballots (44.2 percent). Pinac succeeded Representative Christopher Charles John
Chris John
Christopher Charles "Chris" John is American politician who was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2005, representing Louisiana's 7th congressional district.-Early life:...
of Crowley, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana
The Office of Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana is the second highest state office in Louisiana. The current Lieutenant Governor is Jay Dardenne, a Republican...
in 1995. In 1996, John was elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
In the Louisiana House, Pinac was chairman of the Commerce Committee. He maintained a pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
voting record. In other legislative votes, Pinac opposed (1) human cloning
Human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. It does not usually refer to monozygotic multiple births nor the reproduction of human cells or tissue. The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue...
, (2) the restoration of mortgage interest deductions for Louisiana state income tax
State income tax
State and local income taxes are imposed in addition to Federal income tax. State income tax is allowed as a deduction in computing Federal income tax, subject to limitations for individuals. Some localities impose an income tax, often based on state income tax calculations. Forty-three states...
es, and (3) placing constitutional limits on state spending. He supported (1) more slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
s at horse racing tracks, (2) permitting public officials to be employed by casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s, (3) allowing bars to be located near churches, and (4) tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
tax deductions for private schools. Pinac was unopposed for his second and third terms in 1999 and 2003.
Limited to three terms in the state House, Pinac instead ran as a Democrat in the primary held on October 20, 2007, for the District 25 seat in the state senate seat vacated by another Democrat-turned-Republican, Gerald Theunissen
Gerald Theunissen
Gerald Joseph Theunissen, or Jerry Theunissen , is the vice president of Jeff Davis Bank in Jennings, Louisiana, USA, and served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 37 and as the state senator from District 25...
(born 1933) of Jennings
Jennings, Louisiana
Jennings is a small city in and the parish seat of Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, United States, near Lake Charles. The population was 10,986 at the 2000 census....
, the seat of Jefferson Davis Parish. In that same election, he was a strong backer of the Democrat Bob Odom
Bob Odom
Robert Fulton "Bob" Odom is the former Democratic Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry in the U.S. state of Louisiana, who served from 1980-2008. Now in the private sector, Odom operates a consulting company to work with farmers on a statewide and national basis. He offers input on farm...
, who was eliminated from another term as state commissioner of agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
. Pinac led in the primary with 13,437 votes (38.5 percent) and went into the 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...
with Republican Dan "Blade" Morrish
Dan Morrish
Dan Wesley Morrish, sometimes known as Blade Morrish , is a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate from Jennings, the seat of Jefferson Davis Parish in southwestern Louisiana....
of Jennings, who trailed in the first round of balloting with 11,145 (32 percent). A third candidate, Republican Mark T. Abraham (born November 13, 1953), the president of the Lake Charles Port Authority, a member of the Lake Charles City Council from 1989–1992, and a former LSU football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player ran third with a crucial 10,294 votes (29.5 percent) In the November 17 general election, with a much lower turnout, Morrish prevailed with 11,186 (53.9 percent) to Pinac's 9,556 (46 percent). After his failure to win the state Senate seat, Pinac switched parties just prior to announcing that he would run for the PSC. Isabella delaHoussaye also switched to Republican affiliation and ran for the House seat again in 2007, but she was defeated by the Democrat Jack Montoucet, 57-43 percent.
Louisiana Public Service Commission candidate
Pinac sought to succeed the Democrat Dale SittigDale Sittig
Clifton Dale Sittig is the director of the Louisiana Offshore Terminal Authority, who previously served from 1995-2008 as a Democratic member of his state’s Public Service Commission and from 1983-1995 as a state representative from Eunice in St. Landry Parish in south Louisiana.Sittig graduated...
of Eunice
Eunice, Louisiana
Eunice is a city in Acadia, Evangeline and St. Landry parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 11,499 at the 2000 census.The St...
on the PSC, who served from 1995–2008, when he resigned to accept the directorship of the Louisiana Offshore Port Authority, known by the acronym LOOP. Sittig is also a former member of the Louisiana House from neighboring District 41. A runoff election for the PSC seat was cancelled, when Democrat McPherson, who lost to Sittig in a previous special election in 1995, withdrew from the race. McPherson was reelected in his District 29 Senate seat in 2007 with 69 percent of the vote in the jungle primary
Jungle primary
A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for elected office run in the same primary regardless of political party. Under this system, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the next round, as in a runoff election...
against a fellow Democrat. Holloway won the position automatically without the need for a runoff election.
In his statement of candidacy, Pinac claims that he would "fight to get more power to you, the Louisiana consumer. I will take a common sense
Common sense
Common sense is defined by Merriam-Webster as, "sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts." Thus, "common sense" equates to the knowledge and experience which most people already have, or which the person using the term believes that they do or should have...
approach while working to keep electric rates fair, encourage the development of new sources of reliable, affordable, clean energy, and demand the safe and quick return of power to our homes and businesses after disasters strike our state. Our day-to-day lives are affected every time we flip that electrical switch, and in these difficult economic times, we should get what we pay for: safe, reliable, and reasonably-priced electricity and other utilities."
In addition to Acadia, the PSC district includes all or part of seventeen parishes: Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula (part), Evangeline, Grant, Jeff Davis, La Salle, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, St. Landry, St. Martin (part), Vermilion, and Vernon.
The PSC has jurisdiction over publicly-owned utilities providing electric, water, waste water, natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
, and telecommunication services in addition to all the electric cooperatives in Louisiana. The PSC also regulates intrastate transportation, including passenger carrier services, waste haulers, household goods carriers, non-consensual towing, and intrastate pipelines.