Posted on 07/17/2005 5:17:07 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Secretary of State Fox McKeithen dies
Longtime official resigned Friday
By MARK F. BONNER mbonner@theadvocate.com Advocate staff writer
Walter Fox McKeithen, longtime secretary of state and son of former Gov. John McKeithen, died Saturday morning at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. He died from complications of an infection following a paralyzing accident earlier this year. He was 58.
Friday, hours before his death, McKeithen resigned as secretary of state from his hospital bed. The resignation was not announced Friday.
"It has been the honor of a lifetime to have served Louisiana and the great people of this state for so many years," McKeithen said in the resignation letter released by his office. "Because of recent complications from my injury in February, I regretfully can no longer serve."
Under Louisiana's constitution, first assistant secretary of state Al Ater will take over the office. The earliest an election can take place is Sept. 30, 2006, during the next regular congressional election cycle, said Jennifer Marusak, a spokeswoman for the secretary of state's office.
Born Sept. 8, 1946, McKeithen had been paralyzed from the neck down since falling in the carport of his home Feb. 17, damaging his spinal column between the third and fourth vertebrae.
Poor Fox. As Louisiana politicians go, he seemed one of the better ones.
Sad to hear
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