Marcus Hunter

Marcus Lamar Hunter
Louisiana State Representative from District 17 (27 precincts in Ouachita Parish)
Incumbent
Assumed office January 9, 2012
Preceded by	Rosalind D. Jones
Personal details
Born	(1979-01-03) January 3, 1979 Monroe, Ouachita Parish Louisiana, USA
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Single
Alma mater	Julia C. Wossman High School Southern University Southern University Law Center
Occupation	Lawyer
Religion	Baptist

Marcus Lamar Hunter (born January 3, 1979) is an African American politician and second generation attorney from Monroe, Louisiana. A Democrat, Hunter is a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 17, which encompasses parts of the cities of Monroe and West Monroe and the towns of Richwood and Bawcomville.

Elected in 2011, Hunter initially served on the Civil Law, Insurance, and Labor committees. In his second year, he was named to the Commerce Committee. Hunter now sits on the House Ways & Means Committee.

Background

A lifelong resident of Monroe, Hunter is the son and grandson of "homegrown" entrepreneurs. He spent many of his childhood years in Richwood, Louisiana, and attended public schools in Monroe. As a boy, he was inspired by activism and was often moved by the words of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., and other social activists whom he would often hear about while listening to conversations with his grandfather, father, and uncles. He therefore dedicated his career to liberal social and political activism.

A graduate of the Julia C. Wossman High School in Monroe, Hunter received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology (2002) from the majority black Southern University and a Juris Doctorate (2005) from the Southern University Law Center, both in Baton Rouge. After being admitted to the Louisiana Bar Association, Hunter opened a small business, United Title of Northeast Louisiana, and is partner at the Hunter and Associates Law firm, at which he practices alongside his father and brother. Hunter remains committed to ensuring small businesses receive the resources necessary to prosper.

He was a young volunteer for the Northeast Louisiana Sickle Cell Anemia Foundation and the group called Helping Assist Multiple Purpose Community Organizations in his hometown of Monroe. Hunter is an advocate for ethics in government and community preservation.

Political life

Hunter successfully ran for the Louisiana House of Representatives District 17 seat, in the general election held on November 16, 2011. He defeated a large field of candidates including seasoned politicians and businesspersons to become the first representative of the newly-drawn District 17, which includes twenty-seven precincts in Ouachita Parish. This diverse district is composed largely of shopping malls, restaurants, hotel districts, three hospitals - Glenwood, St. Francis, & E. A. Conway, as well as other major corporations within the Monroe/ West Monroe area. Additionally, Hunter has been instrumental in many important issues in the legislature. With his support of the Rainy Day Fund, fight to keep taxes down, and eliminate unpredictable contingencies and the reliance on non-recurring revenue for ongoing expenses, his focus has been on making responsible decisions to address the state’s $165 million deficit from fiscal year 2012-13 and $1.2 billion shortfall for 2013-14. As a result, Hunter has worked steadfastly to decrease total spending by $1.3 billion and matched nearly all of the non-recurring revenue originally placed in the budget with one-time expenses.

Hunter is ranked 21 percent cumulatively by the interest group, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, but he garnered a 67 percent rating in the 2013 legislative session. Representative Hunter also has an A+ rating with the teachers unions in Louisiana (LAE/LFT). Hunter has worked to lobby the U.S. Congress to modify the Biggert-Waters Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to benefit the constituents of his district.

Hunter is a member of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus (serving as Treasurer), Democratic Caucus and the Rural Caucus. Hunter currently serves as the 5th Congressional District representative on the state Democratic Party executive committee, under the chair, State Senator Karen Carter Peterson. In December 2013, the Louisiana Bar Association appointed Hunter to the House of Delegates for the 4th Judicial District Court.

Hunter is listed among the state and local officials who endorsed the unsuccessful reelection bid in 2014 of Democrat U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu.

Hunter handily defeated two opponents, Republican Heath Albritton and Democrat Billye Burns, both of West Monroe, in the primary election held on October 24, 2015. He received 4,337 votes (62 percent) to Albritton's 1,496 (21.4 percent) and Burns' 1,166 (16.7 percent).

Hunter does not believe men and women should be paid the same wage for the same job.

References

Louisiana House of Representatives
Preceded by Rosalind D. Jones	Louisiana State Representative from District 17 (27 precincts in Ouachita Parish) Marcus Lamar Hunter 2012–	Succeeded by Incumbent