A native of Saint Francisville in West Feliciana Parish,[1] Broadwater is a 1995 graduate of Southern Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College in Pineville.

[2] Broadwater and his wife, the former Hilaria Nelson, originally from Franklinton in Washington Parish have three daughters — Emma Grace, Rose Kathron, and Maggie Frances.

He claimed that his private sector experience and his work as the former director of the office of workers compensation would give him an early advantage as a legislator.

[2] Broadwater won the seat vacated by the term-limited Speaker Jim Tucker in a low-turnout general election held on November 19, 2011.

At the end of the special legislative session in June 2017, Broadwater secured House support without a single dissenting vote on the resolution introduced by state Senator Rick Ward, III, of Port Allen in West Baton Rouge Parish, which implores lawmakers to act in a more civil fashion toward one another, not to let partisanship and political views sour personal relations with colleagues.