“Jack’s leadership and decisions were really people-centered, not partisan-centered,” said former Rep. Jason Hughes, a Black Democrat who was the vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee before joining the New Orleans City Council last month. “His guiding question was, ‘Is this good for Louisiana? Is this good for our people?’”

Hughes said McFarland wanted to ensure that every House member had a chance to weigh in on the budget.

“He really loves Louisiana,” Hughes said. “He was committed to fairness for all members of the House and really wanted to see every parish, all 64 parishes, in our state thrive. Parties honestly never came up in our conversations and in our negotiations.”

One example came last fall when the federal government shutdown threatened to disrupt SNAP food benefits, which 18% of Louisiana residents rely on. McFarland worked closely with Gov. Jeff Landry and Republican State Senate President Cameron Henry to make state funds available if needed to keep the assistance flowing.

McFarland said at the time that it was “the Christian thing to do.” He added, “I’m disappointed in the federal level that this population is being held hostage by either party, but I’m also disappointed that anybody would think that people like this should be used as leverage.”

McFarland’s district — which encompasses four parishes in North Louisiana — is rural, isolated and impoverished. Roughly 40% to 45% of those residents rely on Medicaid, and some had to travel at least an hour to see a doctor until federally supported healthcare centers were established in the district.

“Jack is very compassionate when it comes to his constituents,” said Katie Murray, McFarland’s legislative assistant.

McFarland also pays attention to detail. In one part of his laundry business, for instance, he let customers pick the detergents they wanted to use.

“These are the types of things that gained the public’s trust,” he said. “Looking back, it was a good precursor for where I am at.”

When he became the president of the Winn Parish Police Jury in 2008, he quickly resolved debt and other financial issues.

“He treated the jury like a business,” said Karen Tyler, the jury’s secretary-treasurer. “He ran a great office.”

McFarland recognized that the parish garbage tax was collecting more than was needed. With a vote from residents, he put two-thirds of the extra money toward improving existing roads and one-third toward new roads.

When McFarland was elected state representative in 2015, he made a point of entering tough conversations with colleagues, asking them questions and giving his stance on issues. One topic he wanted to master was Louisiana’s budget.