Lee Fletcher
Encyclopedia
Dewey Lee Fletcher, Jr. (April 29, 1966–September 30, 2009), was an American
political consultant and a talk radio
host and blog
ger in Monroe
, who was defeated by 974 votes in a 2002 race for the United States House of Representatives
from the Fifth Congressional District in northeast Louisiana
. A Republican
, Fletcher lost to the Democrat
Rodney Alexander
of Quitman
in Jackson Parish. Alexander prevailed with 86,718 votes to Fletcher's 85,744. In August 2004, Alexander switched his affiliation to Republican and still holds the congressional seat.
Fletcher's advertising agency known as "The Fletcher Group" has been cited by the American Advertising Federation for its highly
successful statewide television campaigns. He also hosted a political talk program on 92.7 Fox FM radio in Monroe, the seat of Ouachita Parish
.
In 2008, Fletcher's agency worked to elect Republican John C. Fleming
of Minden
in Webster Parish
as the U.S. representative from the neighboring 4th congressional district, vacant by the retirement of Republican Representative Jim McCrery
of Shreveport
. Fletcher served briefly as Fleming's chief of staff until sidelined by illness.
ranch and a cotton
farm, in Oak Grove
, the seat of rural
West Carroll Parish in northeast Louisiana by his maternal grandparents, Dayton C. Brown (1913–1994) and Pat Brown, who resides in West Monroe
. He had two sisters, Nicki Hall of Tyler
, Texas
, and Ashley Simmons-Jones of West Monroe
, Louisiana
. He was a cousin
of Fourth District Judge Wendell Manning of Monroe. In 1984, Fletcher graduated from Oak Grove High School. He received his Bachelor of Science
degree in agricultural education
from Louisiana Tech University
in Ruston
in August 1989. A member of the Sigma Nu
fraternity, he was the Louisiana Tech student body president in 1988. He was a lifelong devotee of Louisiana Tech athletics. Eleven years later, he obtained a Master of Business Administration
degree from Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge.
administration and in the United States Department of Agriculture
. He was a graduate and former faculty member of the Republican National Committee
Campaign Management College and its Leadership Institute Campaign School in Arlington, Virginia.
In 1996-1997, Fletcher was the young campaign manager and then the chief of staff for newly-elected U.S. Representative John Cooksey
of Monroe, who limited himself to three terms. Cooksey edged out the comeback attempt of former 8th District Republican U.S. Representative Clyde Holloway of Forest Hill
in south Rapides Parish
and then defeated in the general election
the Democrat Francis C. Thompson
of Delhi
in Richland Parish
.
It was in the 2002 race to succeed Cooksey, who ran unsuccessfully that year for the United States Senate
, that Fletcher lost to Rodney Alexander. Fletcher first edged out Clyde Holloway for the general election berth against Alexander. Also in the running was another major Republican candidate, then State Senator
Robert J. Barham
of Oak Ridge
in Morehouse Parish
.
Alexander led in the primary with 52,952 votes (29 percent). Fletcher followed with 45,278 (25 percent). Holloway polled 42,573 votes (23 percent), and Barham received 34,533 votes (19 percent). Three others divided the remaining but potentially crucial 5 percent of the primary ballots.
Holloway hence fell 2,705 votes short of entering the second round of balloting with Alexander. Though he is a longtime Republican and currently a member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission
, Holloway endorsed the then Democrat Alexander over his fellow conservative Fletcher. Holloway's decision was a reaction to the hard campaigning waged against him by Fletcher in the primary. Critics claim that Holloway was furious over the negative and anonymous automated telephone calls against the Holloway campaign. Not only did Hollway refused to endorse fellow Republican Fletcher, but numerous Republican groups in the 5th Congressional District also backed the then-Democrat Alexander in the general election. The final outcome seemed to indicate that Holloway's endorsement and the support of such Republican activist groups contributed considerably to Alexander's narrow victory. In 2004, Congressman Alexander switched parties and became a Republican with widespread support from district Republican leaders. That year, he handily defeated fellow Republican Jock Scott
of Alexandria
in the nonpartisan blanket primary. Scott also died in 2009.
In 2006, Alexander supported the appointment of Holloway to a high position in the United States Department of Agriculture
. The selection required the approval of President George W. Bush
, who had supported Fletcher in the general election against Alexander.
In a 2003 interview with James H. "Jim" Brown, the former Louisiana state senator, secretary of state, and insurance
commissioner, Fletcher said that he did not have "a problem" with Holloway despite the disappointment to both in the 2002 congressional race.
In 2007, Fletcher urged voters in the 32nd State Senate District to elect Neil Riser
, the Republican businessman from Columbia
, who defeated a Democrat for the seat vacated by term-limited incumbent
Noble Ellington
of Winnsboro
, the seat of Franklin Parish. Riser beat the Democrat former State Representative Bryant Hammett
of Ferriday
in Concordia Parish
.
In 2007, Fletcher devoted himself to electing more Republicans to office and served as the northeast Louisiana consultant for the successful gubernatorial candidate, Bobby Jindal
. Fletcher's firm worked in eight campaigns and was successful in seven. The one loss occurred when the Fletcher-backed candidate advanced to the general election but then withdrew. Though self-described as a "Ronald Reagan Republican," Fletcher was a consultant for the Democratic African American
mayor
of Monroe, Jamie Mayo
, in the latter's reelection campaign in February 2008. Mayo told a friend that his hiring of Fletcher "made the difference between winning and losing.".
In 2008, Fletcher developed and launched an all new talk FM format station named 92.7 Fox FM
, and hosted his own daily show, Townhall Show, on this regional talk station. He had also earlier substituted at times for Moon Griffon
.
. He underwent treatment in Ruston and Monroe as well as The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston
. A sarcoma
in his back metastasized. He died at the age of forty-three at St. Francis Hospital in Monroe, with his grandmother at his side.
Services were held on October 5, 2009, at the First in Oak Grove, with the Reverend Mark Foster, a Pentecostal pastor from West Monroe officiating, assisted by the Reverends Paul Ninemire, a Church of God minister from Oak Grove, and Dennis Anger, pastor of the Cypress Street Church of God in West Monroe. Interment was in Oak Grove Cemetery. Pallbearers were former U.S. Representative John Cooksey, Ruston businessman James Davison, political consultant Roy Fletcher (no relation), newspaper publisher Sam Hanna Jr., Dr. Guthrie Jarrell, Doug Mangum, and Judge Wendell Manning. Honorary pallbearers were U.S. Representatives John Fleming and Rodney Alexander, Monroe businessman Ron Alexander, Campbell Kaufman, Todd Perry, state Senators Mike Walsworth
and Neil Riser, and Fletcher's Sigma Nu fraternity brothers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political consultant and a talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host and blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger in Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
, who was defeated by 974 votes in a 2002 race for 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...
from the Fifth Congressional District in northeast 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...
. 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...
, Fletcher lost to 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...
Rodney Alexander
Rodney Alexander
Rodney McKinnie Alexander is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district covers twenty-two parishes in roughly the northeast quadrant of the state...
of Quitman
Quitman, Louisiana
Quitman is a village in Jackson Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 168. Quitman is south of Ruston on U.S. Highway 167, and north of Jonesboro, the parish seat of Jackson Parish...
in Jackson Parish. Alexander prevailed with 86,718 votes to Fletcher's 85,744. In August 2004, Alexander switched his affiliation to Republican and still holds the congressional seat.
Fletcher's advertising agency known as "The Fletcher Group" has been cited by the American Advertising Federation for its highly
successful statewide television campaigns. He also hosted a political talk program on 92.7 Fox FM radio in Monroe, the seat of Ouachita Parish
Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
-National protected areas:* Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge* D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 147,250 people, 55,216 households, and 38,319 families residing in the parish. The population density was 241 people per square mile...
.
In 2008, Fletcher's agency worked to elect Republican John C. Fleming
John C. Fleming
John Calvin Fleming, Jr. is a Minden, Louisiana physician, the author of the book Preventing Addiction, and the Republican U.S. representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district...
of Minden
Minden, Louisiana
Minden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
in Webster Parish
Webster Parish, Louisiana
Webster Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. In 2010, its population was 41,207....
as the U.S. representative from the neighboring 4th congressional district, vacant by the retirement of Republican Representative Jim McCrery
Jim McCrery
James Otis "Jim" McCrery, III , is an American lawyer who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1988 to 2009; he represented the 4th District of Louisiana, based in the northwestern quadrant of the state.McCrery was a ranking member on the House Ways and...
of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
. Fletcher served briefly as Fleming's chief of staff until sidelined by illness.
Early years and education
Fletcher was born in E.A. Conway Hospital in Monroe to the late Dewey Fletcher, Sr., and the former Patricia Brown, later Patricia Irby, of Monroe. He was reared at the 9B Ranch, a horseHorse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
ranch and a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
farm, in Oak Grove
Oak Grove, Louisiana
Oak Grove is a town in, and the parish seat of, West Carroll Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,174 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oak Grove is located at ....
, the seat of rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
West Carroll Parish in northeast Louisiana by his maternal grandparents, Dayton C. Brown (1913–1994) and Pat Brown, who resides in West Monroe
West Monroe, Louisiana
West Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 13,250 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. He had two sisters, Nicki Hall of Tyler
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and Ashley Simmons-Jones of West Monroe
West Monroe, Louisiana
West Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 13,250 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, 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...
. He was a cousin
Cousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
of Fourth District Judge Wendell Manning of Monroe. In 1984, Fletcher graduated from Oak Grove High School. He received his 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 agricultural education
Agricultural education
Agricultural education is instruction about crop production, livestock management, soil and water conservation, and various other aspects of agriculture. Agricultural education includes instruction in food education, such as nutrition...
from Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
in Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
in August 1989. A member of the Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
fraternity, he was the Louisiana Tech student body president in 1988. He was a lifelong devotee of Louisiana Tech athletics. Eleven years later, he obtained a 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...
degree 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.
Political activities
As a youth, Fletcher campaigned for the election of Ronald W. Reagan for U.S. President. He worked in the George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
administration and in the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
. He was a graduate and former faculty member of the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
Campaign Management College and its Leadership Institute Campaign School in Arlington, Virginia.
In 1996-1997, Fletcher was the young campaign manager and then the chief of staff for newly-elected U.S. Representative John Cooksey
John Cooksey
John Charles Cooksey, M.D. is an ophthalmologist who was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana from 1997 to 2003.-Early life:...
of Monroe, who limited himself to three terms. Cooksey edged out the comeback attempt of former 8th District Republican U.S. Representative Clyde Holloway of Forest Hill
Forest Hill, Louisiana
Forest Hill is a village in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 456 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Forest Hill is located at ....
in south Rapides Parish
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
-Military Installations:*Camp Beauregard *Esler Airfield *England Air Force Base *Camp Claiborne *Camp Livingston -Demographics:...
and then defeated in 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...
the Democrat Francis C. Thompson
Francis C. Thompson
Francis Coleman Thompson is a wealthy developer from Delhi in Richland Parish, Louisiana, U.S., where he served as a senior Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He served continuously from 1975 until 2007...
of Delhi
Delhi, Louisiana
Delhi, originally called Deerfield, is a town in Richland Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,066.-History:...
in Richland Parish
Richland Parish, Louisiana
Richland Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Rayville. As of 2010, the population was 20,725.-History:...
.
It was in the 2002 race to succeed Cooksey, who ran unsuccessfully that year for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, that Fletcher lost to Rodney Alexander. Fletcher first edged out Clyde Holloway for the general election berth against Alexander. Also in the running was another major Republican candidate, then 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...
Robert J. Barham
Robert J. Barham
Robert Jocelyn Barham is a large-scale farmer from Morehouse Parish who has been appointed by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal as the secretary of the state's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries...
of Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge, Louisiana
Oak Ridge is a village in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 142 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bastrop Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Oak Ridge is located at ....
in Morehouse Parish
Morehouse Parish, Louisiana
Morehouse Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Bastrop. In 2000, the parish population was 31,021....
.
Alexander led in the primary with 52,952 votes (29 percent). Fletcher followed with 45,278 (25 percent). Holloway polled 42,573 votes (23 percent), and Barham received 34,533 votes (19 percent). Three others divided the remaining but potentially crucial 5 percent of the primary ballots.
Holloway hence fell 2,705 votes short of entering the second round of balloting with Alexander. Though he is a longtime Republican and currently a member of 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...
, Holloway endorsed the then Democrat Alexander over his fellow conservative Fletcher. Holloway's decision was a reaction to the hard campaigning waged against him by Fletcher in the primary. Critics claim that Holloway was furious over the negative and anonymous automated telephone calls against the Holloway campaign. Not only did Hollway refused to endorse fellow Republican Fletcher, but numerous Republican groups in the 5th Congressional District also backed the then-Democrat Alexander in the general election. The final outcome seemed to indicate that Holloway's endorsement and the support of such Republican activist groups contributed considerably to Alexander's narrow victory. In 2004, Congressman Alexander switched parties and became a Republican with widespread support from district Republican leaders. That year, he handily defeated fellow Republican Jock Scott
Jock Scott
John Wyeth "Jock" Scott, II was a lawyer and college professor in Alexandria, who served three terms from District 26 in the Louisiana House of Representatives, first as a Democrat and then as a Republican . He was defeated in a race for the Louisiana State Senate in 1987...
of Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
in the nonpartisan blanket primary. Scott also died in 2009.
In 2006, Alexander supported the appointment of Holloway to a high position in the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
. The selection required the approval of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, who had supported Fletcher in the general election against Alexander.
In a 2003 interview with James H. "Jim" Brown, the former Louisiana state senator, secretary of state, and insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
commissioner, Fletcher said that he did not have "a problem" with Holloway despite the disappointment to both in the 2002 congressional race.
In 2007, Fletcher urged voters in the 32nd State Senate District to elect Neil Riser
Neil Riser
Hartwell Neil Riser, Jr., known as Neil Riser , is a funeral home owner in Columbia, the seat of Caldwell Parish in northeastern Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate. On January 14, 2008, Riser succeeded outgoing Democratic Senator Noble Ellington. Riser is the first...
, the Republican businessman from Columbia
Columbia, Louisiana
Columbia is a town in and the parish seat of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 477 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Columbia is located at ....
, who defeated a Democrat for the seat vacated by term-limited incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Noble Ellington
Noble Ellington
Noble Edward Ellington, II , is a wealthy cotton merchant from Winnsboro, the seat of Franklin Parish in northeastern Louisiana, who is a freshman, and as of December 17, 2010, a Republican, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 20...
of Winnsboro
Winnsboro, Louisiana
Winnsboro is a city in and the parish seat of Franklin Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of July 2009, the estimated city population was 4,377...
, the seat of Franklin Parish. Riser beat the Democrat former State Representative Bryant Hammett
Bryant Hammett
Bryant O'Dare Hammett, Jr. , is a civil engineer and land surveyor from Ferriday in Concordia Parish in eastern Louisiana, who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992-2006....
of Ferriday
Ferriday, Louisiana
Ferriday is a town in Concordia Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The population, which is three-fourths African American, was 3,723 at the 2000 census....
in Concordia Parish
Concordia Parish, Louisiana
Concordia Parish borders the Mississippi River in eastern Louisiana. The parish seat is Vidalia. As of 2000, the population was 20,247. It is part of the Natchez, MS–LA Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Prehistory:...
.
In 2007, Fletcher devoted himself to electing more Republicans to office and served as the northeast Louisiana consultant for the successful gubernatorial candidate, Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
. Fletcher's firm worked in eight campaigns and was successful in seven. The one loss occurred when the Fletcher-backed candidate advanced to the general election but then withdrew. Though self-described as a "Ronald Reagan Republican," Fletcher was a consultant for the Democratic African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Monroe, Jamie Mayo
Jamie Mayo
James Earl Mayo, known as Jamie Mayo , is the current mayor of Monroe, the seat of Ouachita Parish in north Louisiana, United States. He is an African-American Democrat who endorsed Barack Obama of Illinois in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.Mayo was elected to the Monroe City Council from...
, in the latter's reelection campaign in February 2008. Mayo told a friend that his hiring of Fletcher "made the difference between winning and losing.".
In 2008, Fletcher developed and launched an all new talk FM format station named 92.7 Fox FM
KBYO-FM
KBYO-FM is a radio station broadcasting a 80's and 90's Hits format. Licensed to Farmerville, Louisiana, USA, the station serves the Monroe area. The station is currently owned by Union Broadcasting Co...
, and hosted his own daily show, Townhall Show, on this regional talk station. He had also earlier substituted at times for Moon Griffon
Moon Griffon
Blane M. Griffon, known as Moon Griffon is a conservative radio talk show host who broadcasts statewide through station KMLB FM in Monroe, the seat of Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana. He has sometimes been called the "Rush Limbaugh of Louisiana" though his program reflects his distinct...
.
Last days
In February 2009, less than two months into his tenure as John Fleming's chief of staff, Fletcher was stricken with cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. He underwent treatment in Ruston and Monroe as well as The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. A sarcoma
Sarcoma
A sarcoma is a cancer that arises from transformed cells in one of a number of tissues that develop from embryonic mesoderm. Thus, sarcomas include tumors of bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, vascular, and hematopoietic tissues...
in his back metastasized. He died at the age of forty-three at St. Francis Hospital in Monroe, with his grandmother at his side.
Services were held on October 5, 2009, at the First in Oak Grove, with the Reverend Mark Foster, a Pentecostal pastor from West Monroe officiating, assisted by the Reverends Paul Ninemire, a Church of God minister from Oak Grove, and Dennis Anger, pastor of the Cypress Street Church of God in West Monroe. Interment was in Oak Grove Cemetery. Pallbearers were former U.S. Representative John Cooksey, Ruston businessman James Davison, political consultant Roy Fletcher (no relation), newspaper publisher Sam Hanna Jr., Dr. Guthrie Jarrell, Doug Mangum, and Judge Wendell Manning. Honorary pallbearers were U.S. Representatives John Fleming and Rodney Alexander, Monroe businessman Ron Alexander, Campbell Kaufman, Todd Perry, state Senators Mike Walsworth
Mike Walsworth
Michael Arthur "Mike" Walsworth is a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate, elected in the October 20, 2007 jungle primary. Prior to this he represented District 15 in the Louisiana House of Representatives until he was unable to seek reelection due to term limits...
and Neil Riser, and Fletcher's Sigma Nu fraternity brothers.