Huey Long

Huey Long.
Huey Long (1893–1935), nicknamed "The Kingfish", was a populist member of the Democratic Party from Louisiana who was nationally prominent in the U.S. during the Great Depression for his vocal criticism of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal, which Long deemed insufficiently radical. As an alternative, he proposed the Share Our Wealth program in 1934, advocating massive federal spending, a wealth tax, and wealth redistribution. Long served as the governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a member of the U.S. Senate from 1932 until his assassination in 1935. A controversial figure, Long is both celebrated as a populist champion of the poor and denounced as a fascistic demagogue. Poised for a 1936 presidential bid, Long was mortally wounded by a lone assassin in 1935. He left behind a political dynasty that included his wife Rose McConnell Long, his son Russell B. Long, and his brother Earl Long, among others.