Joe McPherson

William Joseph "Joe" McPherson, Jr., (born December 18, 1950) is a Democratic former member of the Louisiana State Senate from Woodworth, a small community south of Alexandria, Louisiana, the seat of government of Rapides Parish and the largest city in the Central Louisiana region. McPherson’s service extends from 1984 to 1996 and 2000 to 2012, when his last term expired.

McPherson is a graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. He also attended Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. His business activities include retail, commercial property, and health care facilities. He and his wife, Karen, have a son, Joe, III.

State senate elections

McPherson was first elected to the Senate in 1983, when he resided in Pineville. He unseated incumbent fellow Democrat Ned Randolph, who subsequently served from 1986 to 2006) as the mayor of Alexandria. Randolph’s defeat came in the same election cycle that Edwin Washington Edwards staged his gubernatorial comeback for a third nonconsecutive term against incumbent Republican David C. Treen.