Karen St. Germain — Louisiana legislator and motor vehicle administrator

Karen St. Germain, born in 1957, is a Louisiana Democrat who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2003 to 2016 representing District 60, which covers Assumption and Iberville parishes. She then moved into state administration when Governor John Bel Edwards appointed her Commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles in January 2016. During her legislative career she chaired the House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee and earned Legislator of the Year recognition from four separate organizations. Her career spans grassroots Democratic politics in rural south Louisiana, committee leadership, and the administrative modernization of Louisiana’s driver credentialing system.

Key facts

  • Born: 1957
  • Occupation: politician
  • Education: Louisiana State University

Early career and path to the legislature

Before winning elected office, St. Germain worked as a legislative assistant for two former Louisiana representatives, Charlie Melancon and Audrey McCain. That staff-level experience gave her direct exposure to the mechanics of the legislature before she sought a seat of her own.

St. Germain was educated at Louisiana State University. She became one of the original volunteer pioneers involved in efforts to build the Pierre Part Veterans Park beginning in 2002, a role she has continued as a board member of that organization.

Election to the Louisiana House of Representatives

St. Germain entered the 2003 race for Louisiana House District 60 in an unusually uniform political field. All three candidates in the October 4, 2003 blanket primary were Democrats. St. Germain led that primary with 8,573 votes, ahead of Emma Devillier’s 7,389 and Shannon P. Ourso’s 2,139. Because no candidate cleared 50 percent, a runoff was required. In the November 15, 2003 general election, St. Germain defeated Devillier 9,325 votes to 8,605, making the entire contest, from primary through runoff, an all-Democratic affair.

Her 2007 re-election was the opposite of contested: she ran unopposed, and under Louisiana rules the election was cancelled, securing her second term without a vote being cast. The 2011 cycle brought a sharply one-sided result of a different kind. In the October 2011 blanket primary, St. Germain received 14,783 votes, representing 86.1 percent of the total, against Republican Jason Morris, who received 13.9 percent. Clearing 50 percent in the primary triggered Louisiana’s winner-declaration rule, so no general election followed. She served in the Louisiana House through 2016, when she was succeeded by Chad Brown.

Legislative work and committee roles

St. Germain’s most prominent committee assignment was chairwoman of the House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee, a role well-matched to a district shaped by the road and waterway infrastructure of south Louisiana. During the 2010 to 2011 legislative session she also served as Vice Chair of the Louisiana House Natural Resources and Environment Committee and sat on the Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development Committee.

Her legislative affiliations reflected the geographic and political character of her district. She was a member of the Acadiana Delegation, the Capital Region Legislative Delegation, and the Louisiana Rural Caucus.

In 2014, St. Germain sponsored House Bill 887, which would have prohibited Louisiana employers from discriminating in hiring on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. She voluntarily deferred the bill before opponents could testify, stating that she did not have sufficient committee votes to advance it.

Four organizations named her Legislator of the Year during her tenure: the Child Care Association of Louisiana, the Louisiana State Troopers Association, the Professional Fire Fighters Association of Louisiana, and the Louisiana State Firemen’s Association. She also received the Conservation Legislator of the Year designation from both the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation.

Commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles

Governor John Bel Edwards appointed St. Germain as Commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles in January 2016, as her legislative term was concluding. In that role she served as the Custodian of Records for the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.

One of the most visible administrative tasks she oversaw was Louisiana’s transition to REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses. Governor Edwards signed the enabling legislation on June 14, 2016, and the Office of Motor Vehicles began issuing REAL ID-compliant credentials on October 3, 2016.

St. Germain has also served as a board member of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, a nonprofit association that develops model programs in motor vehicle administration, police traffic services, and highway safety.

Community roles

Beyond elected and appointed office, St. Germain has maintained a presence in local civic governance. She served on the Assumption Parish Recreation District 2 board, with a term set to expire on March 22, 2030.

Her connection to Pierre Part also extends through her husband Kenneth St. Germain, whose family founded the Pierre Part Store in 1911.

Did you know

  • Her husband Kenneth St. Germain’s family founded the Pierre Part Store in 1911. The business grew across four generations of family ownership to become one of Louisiana’s longest continually operating independent retailers. (thehardwareconnection.com)
  • In her 2011 re-election race for District 60, St. Germain won the blanket primary outright with 86.1 percent of the vote. Under Louisiana’s electoral rules, a candidate who clears 50 percent in the primary is declared the winner, so no general election was held. (ballotpedia.org)
  • St. Germain’s 2003 primary race for District 60 was an all-Democratic contest from start to finish. All three candidates in the October primary were Democrats, so the November runoff also featured only Democrats, with St. Germain winning that final round 9,325 votes to 8,605. (ballotpedia.org)

Data sources

Data updated: 2026-10-28