Riding the wave of support and popularity from his stance on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser overwhelmed two familiar challengers to win a second term for the parish government's top job. Nungesser, a Republican from Belle Chasse, became a fixture on network news shows during the three-month spill crisis, being portrayed as a regular guy -- CNN called him "America's Bubba" -- fighting BP and the federal government over their response to the spill. Former Councilman Amos Cormier Jr. and former Parish President Benny Rousselle mounted challenges against Nungesser in Saturday's election, raising issues about the incumbent's ethics in light of a legislative auditor's report.
