Junior Rodriguez
Henry Joseph Rodriguez, Jr. (September 27, 1935 – May 3, 2018),[1] known as Junior Rodriguez, was an American politician from St. Bernard Parish in the Greater New Orleans section of the U.S. state of Louisiana. He was of Isleño descent and was registered as an Independent. He served as Councilmember on the St. Bernard Parish Council from 1976 to 2004 and as President of the St. Bernard Parish Council, from 2004 to 2008. St. Bernard Parish is a Louisiana Parish (the equivalent of counties in other states) that is adjacent to New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood.
Junior Rodriguez | |
|---|---|
 Henry "Junior" Rodriguez | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 27, 1935 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Died | May 3, 2018 (aged 82) St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Profession | Politician |
During the Katrina and his aftermaths
During Katrina, he and his councilors requested boats and rescued hundreds of people who took refuge on rooftops when the flood occurred.[2] However, Rodriguez reached national fame in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as a regular guest to CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. Hurricane Katrina and related levee failures resulted in almost all homes and businesses of St. Bernard Parish being catastrophically flooded. Most had to permanently evacuate their house, and as of early 2006 the majority of the returned population were in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) housing trailers.
Known for his matter-of-fact style and his sometimes colorful language, he used his presence on the show to criticize the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the slow pace of the recovery in St. Bernard Parish and asked for a more effective response. Among other aspects, he claimed that FEMA's bureaucratic approach kept victims of the hurricane from getting proper assistance.
Other local politicians criticized the way the federal government handled the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Parish Presidents Benny Rousselle from Plaquemines and Aaron Broussard from Jefferson are among the most notable ones.
Junior Rodriguez was one of the participants to Movie Director Spike Lee's documentary When The Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Acts.
Election history
Police Juror, Ward K, 1987
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 24, 1987
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Junior Rodriguez | Democratic | 1,169 (41%) | Runoff |
| Melvin Guerra | Democratic | 762 (27%) | Runoff |
| Others | n.a. | 928 (32%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 21, 1987
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Junior Rodriguez | Democratic | 1,505 (59%) | Elected |
| Melvin Guerra | Democratic | 1,060 (41%) | Defeated |
Councilman, District E, 1991
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 19, 1991
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Junior Rodriguez | Independent | 2,655 (50%) | Elected |
| Melvin Guerra | Democratic | 1,038 (20%) | Defeated |
| Others | n.a. | 1,603 (30%) | Defeated |
Councilman, District E, 1995
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 21, 1995
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Junior Rodriguez | Independent | 1,898 (41%) | Runoff |
| Douglas Dean | Republican | 1,474 (32%) | Runoff |
| Others | n.a. | 1,261 (27%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 18, 1995
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Junior Rodriguez | Independent | 2,625 (54%) | Elected |
| Douglas Dean | Republican | 2,280 (46%) | Defeated |
Councilman at Large, Eastern Division, 1999
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 23, 1999
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Craig Taffaro, Jr. | Republican | 7,926 (37%) | Runoff |
| Junior Rodriguez | Independent | 7,705 (36%) | Runoff |
| Roddy Rodriguez, Jr. | Democratic | 5,682 (27%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 20, 1999
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Junior Rodriguez | Independent | 10,358 (51%) | Elected |
| Craig Taffaro, Jr. | Republican | 9,801 (49%) | Defeated |
St. Bernard Parish President, 2003
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 4, 2003
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Junior Rodriguez | Independent | 8,701 (34%) | Runoff |
| Scott Wolfe | Republican | 8,650 (34%) | Runoff |
| Clay Cossé | Republican | 6,488 (25%) | Defeated |
| Kent Diaz | Independent | 1,689 (7%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 15, 2003
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Junior Rodriguez | Independent | 13,916 (56%) | Elected |
| Scott Wolfe | Republican | 10,851 (44%) | Defeated |
St. Bernard Parish President, 2007
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, October 20, 2007
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Craig Taffaro, Jr. | Republican | 5,710 (50%) | Runoff |
| Junior Rodriguez | Independent | 3,294 (29%) | Runoff |
| Donald Serpas | Independent | 1,158 (10%) | Defeated |
| Henry Joseph Rodriguez, III | Independent | 711 (6%) | Defeated |
| William "Bill" Villavaso | Independent | 610 (5%) | Defeated |
Second Ballot, November 17, 2007
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Craig Taffaro, Jr. | Republican | 6,545 (59%) | Elected |
| Junior Rodriguez | Independent | 4,518 (41%) | Defeated |
Sources
- New Orleans Magazine : http://www.neworleansmagazine.com/
- Louisiana Secretary of State : http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/
- St. Bernard Parish: http://www.sbpg.net
References
- "Former St. Bernard Parish President Junior Rodriguez dies at 82". WGNO. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- Samuel G. Armistead. La Tradición Hispano - Canaria en Luisiana (Hispanic Tradition - Canary in Louisiana). Pages 176 - 177. Anrart Ediciones. Ed: First Edition, March 2007.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Metzler, Jr. (D) |
Councilman, District E 1992–2000 |
Succeeded by Ricky Melerine (D) |
| Preceded by Danny Dysart (D) |
Councilman at Large, Eastern Division 2000–2004 |
Succeeded by Lynn Dean (R) |
| Preceded by Charles Ponstein (D) |
St. Bernard Parish President 2004–2008 |
Succeeded by Craig Taffaro, Jr. (R) |