Troy Michael Hebert is a politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 from Jeanerette

Jeanerette, Louisiana

Jeanerette is a city in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States. Known as "Sugar City", it had a population of 5,997 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Iberia Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Early years:...

, 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 is the current Commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control

Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control

The Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control is a Louisiana state government agency that regulates the alcoholic beverage and tobacco industries. The Office places emphasis on combating underage purchasing and drinking of alcohol and tobacco....

. Hebert was appointed commissioner by 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...

 Governor 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....

. He previously served in 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...

 and Louisiana State Senate

Louisiana State Senate

The Louisiana State Senate is the upper house of the state legislature of Louisiana. All Senators serve four year terms and are assigned multiple committees to work on. The Republicans control the State Senate following a Special Election Victory in District 26 by Jonathan W. Perry...

.

Legislative career

Hebert also served on the Iberia Parish

Iberia Parish, Louisiana

Iberia Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is New Iberia. As of 2000, the population was 73,266.Iberia Parish is part of the New Iberia Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Lafayette–Acadiana Combined Statistical Area.Iberia, along with...

 Council, equivalent to county commission

County commission

A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...

 in most other states, before being elected for three terms as a 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...

 to the Louisiana House. Hebert served as chairman of the House Insurance Committee before being removed in March 2004 by the Speaker Joe R. Salter

Joe R. Salter

Joe Reece Salter is the director of governmental affairs of the Louisiana State Department of Education and a former Democratic Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives. In 1986, he began representing District 24 in northwestern Louisiana, which then included Sabine, De Soto, Bienville,...

 after Hebert voted against the renewal of a tax on business utilities.

In 2007, Hebert was term limit

Term limit

A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...

ed in the state House from District 49 (Iberia and Vermilion

Vermilion Parish, Louisiana

Vermilion Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Abbeville. As of the 2010 census, the population was 57,999....

 parishes) and was instead elected as a Democrat to represent District 22 in the State Senate. He won 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...

 over Republican Jeff Landry

Jeff Landry

Jeffrey Martin "Jeff" Landry is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party and the Tea Party Caucus.-Early life, education, and military service:...

, 52-48 percent. In 2010, Landry 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...

 to succeed candidate Charlie Melancon

Charlie Melancon

Charles Joseph "Charlie" Melancon was the U.S. Representative for , serving from 2005 to 2011, and the unsuccessful 2010 Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican David Vitter.-Early life, education and career:...

, who instead lost the U.S. Senate race to David Vitter

David Vitter

David Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...

. After his election, Hebert was appointed chairman of the Senate Environment Committee.

In March 2010, Hebert changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Independent

Independent (politician)

In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...

. He indicated that he wanted to work with lawmakers from both parties and to be able to support proposals regardless of which party proposed them.

Commissioner of the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control

Hebert announced in June 2010 that he would not seek a second term in the state senate in the fall of 2011. However, he resigned from the senate on November 24, 2010, to accept the appointment as Commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. He succeeds Murphy Painter who resigned in August 2010. The position pays $107,000 annually. State Representative Fred Henry Mills, Jr.

Fred Mills (Louisiana politician)

Fred Henry Mills, Jr. , is a pharmacist and banker from St. Martinville, Louisiana, who is a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate, having won a special election on January 22, 2011, for the District 22 seat vacated in 2010 by the Independent Troy Hebert of Jeanerette.Mills had since 2008...

, of St. Martin Parish

St. Martin Parish, Louisiana

St. Martin Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is St. Martinville. As of the 2000 census, the population was 48,583.St...

 won the special election for Hebert's unexpired Senate term by defeating several opponents, including House colleague Simone B. Champagne

Simone B. Champagne

Simone Becnel Champagne is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 49 in south Louisiana. She resides in Jeanerette in Iberia Parish, where in 1971 she graduated from Jeanerette High School...

 of Jeanerette.

Personal life

Hebert is the son of Elton Charles Hebert (1930–2005). He is divorced and the father of two children, Hailey and Cade Hebert. He studied diesel mechanics at a vocational school and then attended 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. From 1983 to 1988, he was a sugar cane farmer. He has also been a carpenter

Carpenter

A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....

 and contractor. He is a member of the Jeanerette Chamber of Commerce

Chamber of commerce

A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...

. Hebert is a Roman Catholic.