page_title: Huey Long
hierarchical_section_title: Huey Long
caption_attribution_description: Senator Huey P. Long of Louisiana, half-length portrait, standing, facing left, gesturing with both arms, as he speaks.
context_page_description: Huey Pierce Long Jr., byname "The Kingfish", was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a member of the United States Senate from 1932 until his assassination in 1935. A populist member of the Democratic Party, he rose to national prominence during the Great Depression for his vocal criticism of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal from the left. As the political leader of Louisiana, he commanded wide networks of supporters and often took forceful action. Celebrated as a populist benefactor or conversely denounced as a fascistic demagogue, Long remains a controversial figure.
  Long was born in the poor north of Louisiana in 1893. After working as a traveling salesman and attending multiple colleges, Long entered the bar in Louisiana. Following a brief private legal career, in which he represented poor plaintiffs against corporations, Long was elected to the Louisiana Public Service Commission. As Commissioner, Long often prosecuted large corporations, such as Standard Oil.
context_section_description: Huey Pierce Long Jr. (August 30, 1893 – September 10, 1935), byname "The Kingfish", was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a member of the United States Senate from 1932 until his assassination in 1935. A populist member of the Democratic Party, he rose to national prominence during the Great Depression for his vocal criticism of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal from the left. As the political leader of Louisiana, he commanded wide networks of supporters and often took forceful action. Celebrated as a populist benefactor or conversely denounced as a fascistic demagogue, Long remains a controversial figure.
  Long was born in the poor north of Louisiana in 1893. After working as a traveling salesman and attending multiple colleges, Long entered the bar in Louisiana. Following a brief private legal career, in which he represented poor plaintiffs against corporations, Long was elected to the Louisiana Public Service Commission. As Commissioner, Long often prosecuted large corporations, such as Standard Oil. After successfully arguing before the US Supreme Court, Chief Justice William Howard Taft praised Long as "the most brilliant lawyer who ever practiced before the United States Supreme Court."
  After a failed 1924 campaign, Long was elected Governor of Louisiana in 1928. Accused of abuses of power, he was impeached in 1929, but the proceedings collapsed in the Louisiana Senate. During Long's years in power, he greatly expanded social programs, such as free school textbooks, college financial aid, and free medical care. He also organized massive public work projects, including a modern highway system and the tallest state capitol-building in the nation. Through political maneuvering, Long became the political boss of Louisiana. His opponents attested that his policies and methods were unconstitutional and dictatorial.
  Long successfully ran for the US Senate in 1930, although he did not assume his seat until 1932. Largely to spite the Democratic establishment, Long successfully helped elect the first woman to the Senate, Hattie Caraway. Long was integral in securing Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1932 nomination and was a supporter through Roosevelt's first 100 days in office. However, Long split with Roosevelt in June 1933, becoming a prominent critic of his New Deal. As an alternative, he proposed the Share Our Wealth program in 1934. To stimulate the economy, Long advocated massive federal spending, a wealth tax, and wealth redistribution. These proposals drew wide support, with millions joining local Share Our Wealth clubs. Poised to perform well in a 1936 presidential bid, Long was mortally wounded by a lone assassin in 1935.
  Although Long's movement faded, Roosevelt adopted many of his proposals in the Second New Deal. In Louisiana, Long permanently altered the political landscape. Elections would be organized along anti- or pro-Long factions until the 1960s. He also left behind a political dynasty, which included his wife, Senator Rose McConnell Long; his son, Senator Russell B. Long; and his brothers, Governor Earl Long and U.S. Representative George S. Long, among others.
caption: Long delivering a speech in the Senate, c. 1934
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