{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Gene Lusk | image = | caption = | office = Member of the [[New Mexico Senate]] | term_start = 1953 | term_end = 1961 | predecessor = | successor = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1920|06|04}} | birth_place = [[Lovington, New Mexico]], U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1969|02|14|1920|06|04}} | death_place = [[Carlsbad, New Mexico]], U.S. | party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] | children = 3 | alma_mater = [[University of Michigan]] | parents = [[Georgia Lee Lusk]] (mother) | branch = {{Army|United States}} | service_years = 1942–1946 }} '''Thomas Eugene Lusk''' (June 4, 1920 – February 14, 1969) was an American politician from the state of [[New Mexico]].
==Early life and education== Lusk was born in 1920 on a ranch near [[Lovington, New Mexico]], to Dolph and [[Georgia Lee Lusk]], who served one term as U.S. Representative. He graduated from the [[New Mexico Military Institute]] in 1937 and the [[University of Michigan]] in 1948.
== Career == Lusk began practicing law in 1949. Lusk also served in the [[United States Army]] from 1942 and 1946.
In 1952, Lusk was elected to the [[New Mexico Senate]], serving as majority leader from 1957 until 1959.<ref name=carlsbad/> In 1960, he ran for the [[United States House of Representatives]], but lost in the Democratic primary to [[Joseph Montoya]]. He ran for Governor of New Mexico in [[1966 New Mexico gubernatorial election|1966]] and defeated [[John Burroughs (governor)|John Burroughs]] in the primary, but narrowly lost the general election to [[David Cargo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174481|title=NM Governor D Primary 1966|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=December 20, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=174481|title=NM Governor 1966|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=December 20, 2016}}</ref><ref name="CargoDomrzalski2010">{{cite book|author1=David Francis Cargo|author2=Dennis Domrzalski|title=Lonesome Dave: The Story of New Mexico Governor David Francis Cargo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jW0v32kszOcC&pg=PA127|year=2010|publisher=Sunstone Press|isbn=978-0-86534-753-3|pages=127–}}</ref> He served as a delegate to the [[1968 Democratic National Convention]].<ref name=carlsbad/>
== Personal life == Lusk married Phyllis Raymond in 1943. They had three children: Ann, Allison, and Bill.<ref name="carlsbad" />
Lusk died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on February 14, 1969, while visiting his wife in the hospital.<ref name="carlsbad">CARLSBAD CURRENT-ARGUS, Carlsbad, Eddy County, New Mexico, dated for Sunday, February 16, 1969, front page, reads as follows: LUSK FUNERAL SET MONDAY.</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=[[Jack M. Campbell]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[Governor of New Mexico]]|years=[[1966 New Mexico gubernatorial election|1966]]}} {{s-aft|after=[[Fabian Chavez Jr.]]}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lusk, Gene}} [[Category:1920 births]] [[Category:1969 suicides]] [[Category:1969 deaths]] [[Category:People from Lovington, New Mexico]] [[Category:Politicians from Carlsbad, New Mexico]] [[Category:University of Michigan alumni]] [[Category:Democratic Party New Mexico state senators]] [[Category:Suicides by firearm in New Mexico]] [[Category:American politicians who died by suicide]] [[Category:20th-century members of the New Mexico Legislature]]