district education residence branch succeeded birth_place imagesize party term_end preceded birth_date term_start spouse image article_title state name alma_mater
8th bachelor of science washington , d.c. united states navy clyde c. holloway dayton , ohio , usa 178px democratic party january 3 , 1987 gillis william long 7 february 1924 march 30 , 1985 gillis william long -lrb- d. 1985 -rrb- catherine small long.jpg catherine small long
 louisiana catherine small `` cathy '' long louisiana state university
catherine small long

catherine small long -lrb- born february 7 , 1924 -rrb- is a democratic former u.s. representative from louisiana .
she served from 1985 to 1987 , the remainder of the term of her husband , gillis william long , after his death .
long represented the since disbanded eighth congressional district based in central louisiana about alexandria .
she was the first female veteran elected to congress , having served as a wave in the united states navy .
when she announced her candidacy in 1985 , she obtained support from some wives of other u.s. representatives who came into the district to campaign for her .
her principal opponents , whom she easily defeated in the special election , included republican clyde c. holloway , a nurseryman from forest hill in southern rapides parish , and then state representative jock scott of alexandria , a democrat who later switched parties .
long declined to seek a full term as congresswoman in the jungle primary of 1986 .
her seat narrowly went republican in the general election even though the eighth district was among the most historically democratic in the nation .
cathy long resides in chevy chase , maryland .
in his autobiography , former lieutenant governor and education superintendent william j. `` bill '' dodd , an astute observer of louisiana politics for a half century , describes cathy long , who compiled a liberal voting record in congress , as the `` perfect political wife . ''
with her husband , gillis , long had two children , george harrison long -lrb- born october 13 , 1954 -rrb- and janis catherine long -lrb- born march 25 , 1957 -rrb- .
