Successful implantation: Châtelaillon-Plage and canton of Aytré
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, 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. In the 1988 cantonal elections, he was elected as a general councillor of Aytré succeeding Léon Belly. 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.
In 2002, the Union for a Popular Movement 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. In the first round, he polled 38.45% whereas his socialist opponent André Bonnin got 29.88%. In the run-off, he defeated André Bonnin and was largely elected with 53.55% as a MP of this constituency. In Châtelaillon-Plage, he largely got the absolute majority in the first-round and polled 65.50% in the run-off. In the 2007 legislative election, he narrowly kept his seat in the run-off. In the first round, he polled 42.98% whereas his socialist opponent André Bonnin got 29.99%. In the run-off, he polled 50.20% whereas André Bonnin got 49.80%. The gap consisted of only 220 votes between the two candidates. In Châtelaillon-Plage, he largely got the absolute majority in the first round and polled 65.48% in the run-off. 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% whereas his socialist opponent polled 31.50%. In the run-off, he achieved 47.01% and was defeated by Suzanne Tallard. In Châtelaillon-Plage, he largely got the absolute majority in the first round and achieved 63.08% in the run-off whereas in Aytré Suzanne Tallard polled 40.43% in the first round and largely got the absolute majority in the run-off.
Vice-president of the Charente-Maritime's general council : in charge of economics
National mandate
MP of the Charente-Maritime's 2nd constituency : Union for a Popular Movement parliamentary group, member of the committee of defence, member of the committee of economics, president of the friendship group France/Poland
