Preceded by Felix Edward Hebert Name Richard Tonry Resigned May 4, 1977 Occupation Lawyer Succeeded by Bob Livingston | Political party Democratic Party Democratic Party Preceded by Elmer R. Tapper Role Politician Resting place Louisiana | |
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Born June 23, 1935
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA ( 1935-06-23 ) Alma mater Spring Hill College
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law Died July 3, 2012, Lumberton, Mississippi, United States Education Spring Hill College, Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law | ||
Richard Alvin "Rick" Tonry (June 25, 1935 – July 3, 2012) was a Democratic Party politician from New Orleans, Louisiana.
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Education
He graduated in 1962 from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. In 1967, he earned a law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. He practiced law in the New Orleans area for almost a decade before being elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in the first-ever nonpartisan blanket primary held at the state level in the fall of 1975.
Politics
He served a year (1976) in Louisiana House District 103 and eight months (1977) as he representative of Louisiana's 1st congressional district. Shortly after taking his state House seat, Tonry declared his candidacy for the United States Congress after the 36-year Democratic incumbent, Felix Edward Hébert, announced his retirement. He narrowly defeated Republican Bob Livingston, an assistant state attorney general, in one of the last congressional elections held before Louisiana adopted its nonpartisan blanket primary.
Allegations
Tonry, investigated by the U.S. Attorney Gerald J. Gallinghouse, was accused of allowing subordinates to steal votes by stuffing ballot boxes in St. Bernard Parish, a suburb of New Orleans. He was charged with receiving illegal campaign funds beyond the $1,000 federal limit then imposed per contribution. These allegation ultimately led to his resignation, his guilty pleas of campaign finance irregularities, and a six-months prison sentence at the Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery, Alabama.
Resignation
When Tonry resigned from Congress after four months in the office, a special election was called in August 1977, and Republican Livingston was elected to replace him with a relatively easy victory over the Democratic candidate, Ron Faucheux. This seat has remained in Republican hands since that time and is currently held by Steve Scalise.
In 1983, Tonry tried to return to the Louisiana House in District 103, but finished in fourth place in the nonpartisan blanket primary with 2,693 votes (17.8 percent). Victory went to the Republican Edward Ripoll, who defeated incumbent Edward S. Bopp in a runoff election. Bopp had succeeded Tonry in the state House in 1977.
Death
Tonry died of natural causes in 2012 at the age of 77 and is interred at St. Bernard Memorial Gardens in Chalmette, Louisiana.