Breaux, John Berlinger, << broh, jon BUR lihn juhr >> (1944-…), was a member of the United States Senate from 1987 to 2005. Breaux, a Democrat, represented Louisiana. As a senator, he was known for his ability to bring Democrats and Republicans together to work on legislation.
Breaux was born on March 1, 1944, in Crowley, Louisiana. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in 1965 and a law degree from Louisiana State University in 1967. In 1967 and 1968, he was a partner in a law firm.
From 1968 to 1972, Breaux served as an assistant to U.S. Representative Edwin W. Edwards of Louisiana. In 1972, Breaux was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was reelected to the House six times. In 1986, Breaux ran for the U.S. Senate instead and won election to his first term as a senator. He took office in 1987. He was reelected in 1992 and 1998 but did not seek reelection in 2004. He left office at the end of his third term, in January 2005.
