1971Final resultsIncumbent defeated
1971 primary for Louisiana House District 81
Louisiana House of Representatives · Louisiana
Thomas J. Rice Sr. (D) won with 34.4% of the vote, defeating James E. Beeson (D) by 7.8 points.
Thomas J. Rice Sr.Democrat · winner
34.4%3,817
James E. BeesonDemocrat · incumbent
26.6%2,954
William J. DwyerDemocrat
16.0%1,778
Henry R. Lentz Jr.Democrat
10.0%1,109
Philip B. ShallDemocrat
9.9%1,104
Angelo Joseph SciontinoDemocrat
3.0%338
11,100 votes
Source: Harvard Dataverse / Carl KlarnerUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:29 AM ET
The candidates
Thomas J. Rice Sr. (D)James E. Beeson (D)William J. Dwyer (D)Henry R. Lentz Jr. (D)Philip B. Shall (D)
Also on the ballot: Angelo Joseph Sciontino (Democrat), 3.0%