Treen succeeds Edwards as Louisiana governor
March 11, 1980
Baton Rouge, La.
Dave Treen, who was elected Louisiana's first Republican governor since Reconstruction, was to be sworn in Monday to succeed Gov. Edwin Edwards. Representing a party that claimed only 80,000 registered Louisiana voters to 1.5 million for the Democrats, Mr. Treen campaigned on a platform of nonpartisan government -- and made good on his promise when he appointed four of his Democratic rivals to top positions in the new administration.