Jean-Louis Léonard

Engineer by profession, Jean-Louis Léonard began his political career on the occasion of the 1983 municipal elections. A member of the Rally for the Republic (RPR), he became a deputy mayor of Châtelaillon-Plage. In 1984, he succeeded the then mayor Paul Michaud after his death. In the 1989 municipal elections, he was re-elected as a mayor of Châtelaillon-Plage. After his resignation as a municipal councillor of La Rochelle, he was again elected as a mayor of Châtelaillon-Plage on 21 November 1996. He was re-elected as a mayor in the 2001 and 2008 municipal elections.

He has been a 16th vice-president of the Agglomeration community of La Rochelle since March 2008. In relations with the Charente-Maritime's general council, he is in charge of the direction schedule and tourist development thread.[2]

In the 1988 cantonal elections, he was elected as a general councillor of Aytré succeeding Léon Belly (PCF). Re-elected as a general councillor of Aytré in 1994 and 2001, he has been a vice-president of the Charente-Maritime's general council between 1994 and 2002; during eight years, he was in charge of economics. On 24 August 2002, he resigned as a general councillor because of the law of accumulation of mandates ("Cumul des mandats").

Encouraged by his success in the 1993 legislative election, he left the municipality of Châtelaillon-Plage and faced Michel Crépeau, then mayor of La Rochelle, in the 1995 municipal election. Polling 29%, his municipal list was overwhelmingly defeated by the miscellaneous left list of Michel Crépeau (58.02%).[6] A municipal councillor of La Rochelle since 18 June 1995, he resigned on 15 October 1996.

In the 1993 legislative election, Jean-Louis Léonard defeated Michel Crépeau, mayor of La Rochelle since 1971 and MP of the Charente-Maritime's 1st constituency since 1973. A Member of the Parliament during four years,[3] he did not run in this constituency in the 1997 legislative election.

In 2002, the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) gained the Charente-Maritime's 2nd constituency, which had been won in 1997 by the socialist Bernard Grasset.

In the 2002 legislative election, he was a candidate in the Charente-Maritime's 2nd constituency (Rochefort and a part of Aunis). In the first round, he polled 38.45% (19,970 votes) whereas his socialist opponent André Bonnin got 29.88% (15,519 votes). In the run-off, he defeated André Bonnin (46.45%, 23,132 votes) and was largely elected with 53.55% (26,671 votes) as an MP of this constituency.[7] In Châtelaillon-Plage, he largely got the absolute majority in the first-round (56.83%) and polled 65.50% in the run-off.[8]

In the 2007 legislative election, he narrowly kept his seat in the run-off.

In the first round, he polled 42.98% (23,432 votes) whereas his socialist opponent André Bonnin got 29.99% (16,351 votes). In the run-off, he polled 50.20% (27,321 votes) whereas André Bonnin got 49.80% (27,101 votes). The gap consisted of only 220 votes between the two candidates.[9] In Châtelaillon-Plage, he largely got the absolute majority in the first round (60.15%) and polled 65.48% in the run-off.[10]

In the 2012 legislative election, he was defeated by the socialist candidate Suzanne Tallard, mayor of Aytré since 2008.

In the first round, he came first with 34.22% (19,238 votes) whereas his socialist opponent polled 31.50% (17,711 votes). In the run-off, he achieved 47.01% (26,391 votes) and was defeated by Suzanne Tallard (52.99%, 29,752 votes).[11] In Châtelaillon-Plage, he largely got the absolute majority in the first round (57.00%) and achieved 63.08% in the run-off[12] whereas in Aytré Suzanne Tallard polled 40.43% in the first round and largely got the absolute majority in the run-off (61.36%).[13]

• Mayor of Châtelaillon-Plage: 17 December 1984 – 18 June 1995; since 21 November 1996
• 16th vice-president of the Agglomeration community of La Rochelle: since March 2008

• Municipal councillor of La Rochelle: 18 June 1995 – 15 October 1996
• General councillor of Aytré: 3 October 1988 – 24 August 2002
• Vice-president of the Charente-Maritime's general council (28 March 1994 – 24 August 2002): in charge of economics

• MP of the Charente-Maritime's 2nd constituency (19 June 2002−19 June 2012) : Union for a Popular Movement parliamentary group, member of the committee of defence (2002−2007), member of the committee of economics (2007−2012), president of the friendship group France/Poland (2002−2012)

• MP of the Charente-Maritime's 1st constituency: 28 March 1993 – 21 April 1997