Kathleen Babineaux Blanco was born in New Iberia and in 2003 became the first woman ever elected governor of Louisiana — in a state whose political culture had been shaped almost entirely by men, and specifically by men like Huey Long. She governed through the most catastrophic period in modern Louisiana history: Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Rita three weeks later. The federal response failures and the state response failures became tangled in the political aftermath, and Blanco bore more than her share of the criticism for both. She declined to run for re-election in 2007, citing the toll. She died in 2019. New Iberia put her on the map before the map knew what to do with her.
- ·Born Kathleen Babineaux in New Iberia. In 2003, became the first woman elected governor of Louisiana.
- ·Governed through Hurricane Katrina (August 2005) and Hurricane Rita (September 2005) — the most catastrophic period in modern Louisiana history.
- ·Declined to run for re-election in 2007, citing the personal toll of the storms and the political aftermath.
- ·Before becoming governor, she served as a state representative (1984–1988) and lieutenant governor (1996–2004).
- ·Died August 18, 2019, at age 76. Buried in New Iberia.
- ·A City Story entry — no single visitable landmark. Her legacy is woven into the political and cultural fabric of Acadiana.
Memories
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