Ed Karst Politician
Charles Edward Karst, known as Ed Karst (September 18, 1931 – July 17, 1992), was an attorney and politician remembered for his controversial tenure as the mayor (1969–1973) of Alexandria, the seat of Rapides parish and the largest city in central Louisiana. In 1991, Karst launched a bizarre "No Party" gubernatorial campaign in which he threatened if elected to fire the members of the Louisiana Supreme Court or, if defeated, as he was, to kill the justices, who had upheld his disbarment. At times, Karst was a member of both the Democratic and the Republican parties, but he ran for governor with the "No Party" label, as permitted in Louisiana.The New Orleans-born Karst was the son of Charles Karst, Jr. (1890–1981). He was educated in the Roman Catholic Jesuit High School in New Orleans. He then attended Tulane University, and Loyola University New Orleans School of Law. He relocated to Alexandria to practice law during the 1960s.