Tag: Louisiana

LA-07, presently represented by Republican sophomore Charles Boustany,

is historically Democratic.  Chris John, a Democrat, previously held this from 1997 until he resigned in 2004 to run for an open US Senate seat.  Before John a conservative Democrat named Jimmy Hayes, who left the Democratic party in 1995 and ran an abortive campaign for US Senate in 1996, held this seat for five terms.

A split Democratic party after a contentious open primary allowed Boustany to win this seat in 2004.  Here are the results of the open primary:

U. S. Representative, 7th Congressional District
All 558 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Parish
105,761 39% Charles Boustany, Jr., R  Runoff 
5,177 2% Malcolm R. Carriere, D  Defeated 
67,389 25% “Don” Cravins, D  Defeated 
69,079 25% Willie Landry Mount, D  Runoff 
26,526 10% David Thibodaux, R  Defeated

 

Republicans captured only 49% of the vote in the open primary, even though President Bush performed quite well in the district, garnering 60 percent of the vote on the same day.  Democrats, on the other hand, captured 51% of the vote.  But Cravins’s unwillingness to fully back Mount in the runoff resulted in Boustany’s win, an unprecedented win, as he was the first Republican to ever hold this seat.  Here are the 2004 runoff results:

U. S. Representative, 7th Congressional District
All 558 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Parish
75,039 55% Charles Boustany, Jr., R  Elected
61,493 45% Willie Landry Mount, D  Defeated

 

Boustany should have been and could have been a vulnerable freshman incumbent in 2006.  The DCCC and the Louisiana Democratic Party chose to not challenge his seat, however.  But Boustany still nonetheless had an opponent in online Democratic activist Mike Stagg, who held Boustany at 71% with little name recognition and very little funding.  One also should not dismiss the general state of chaos that plagued and continues to plague this district in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  Here are the results of the 2006 open primary:

U. S. Representative, 7th Congressional District
All 517 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Parish
113,720 71% Charles W. Boustany, Jr., R  Elected
47,133 29% Mike Stagg, D  Defeated

 

Boustany has done very little to distinguish himself in the House of Representatives during his first term: he did not sponsor legislation while in the majority; and he did not assume a leadership role in the wake of the hurricanes.  Now in the minority, I doubt a sophomore Republican will have many opportunities to assume a meaningful role in the legislative process.  This should contribute to his vulnerability, as should the historical Democratic lean of his district.

Complicaing his reelection bid in 2008 is the reelection bid of Sen. Mary Landrieu.  Landrieu cosponsored legislation with Pete Domenici of New Mexico to earmark offshore oil and gas revenues to the reconstruction of Louisiana’s wetlands, half of which are in Boustany’s district.  Landrieu has also directed funds from many different bills to Louisiana, while Boustany has done virtually nothing to help the district, even though he has a seat on the House Transportation Committee. 

I mention this, as Landrieu won many of the parishes in Boustany’s district in the 2002 runoff.  Here are the results of the 2002 runoff:

Calcasieu Parish

U. S. Senator
All 110 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Precinct
25,918 53% Mary Landrieu, D  Elected
22,546 47% Suzanne Haik Terrell, R  Defeated 

Cameron Parish

U. S. Senator
All 15 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Precinct
1,279 50% Mary Landrieu, D  Elected
1,277 50% Suzanne Haik Terrell, R  Defeated 

Jefferson Davis Parish

U. S. Senator
All 45 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Precinct
4,179 53% Mary Landrieu, D  Elected
3,780 47% Suzanne Haik Terrell, R  Defeated 

Acadia Parish

U. S. Senator
All 65 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Precinct
7,195 47% Mary Landrieu, D  Elected
8,214 53% Suzanne Haik Terrell, R  Defeated 

Vermilion Parish

U. S. Senator
All 62 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Precinct
7,358 51% Mary Landrieu, D  Elected
7,042 49% Suzanne Haik Terrell, R  Defeated 

St. Landry Parish

U. S. Senator
All 85 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Precinct
13,165 58% Mary Landrieu, D  Elected
9,648 42% Suzanne Haik Terrell, R  Defeated 

Lafayette Parish

U. S. Senator
All 111 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Precinct
21,144 41% Mary Landrieu, D  Elected
30,568 59% Suzanne Haik Terrell, R  Defeated 

Evangeline Parish (half of which in district)

U. S. Senator
All 61 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Precinct
4,740 51% Mary Landrieu, D  Elected
4,563 49% Suzanne Haik Terrell, R  Defeated

Landrieu won every parish except for Acadia and Lafayette, and she trailed Terrell by only 2,600 out of 169,000 cast.  In other words, a Louisiana Democrat can compete in this district.  The key to victory, however, is to reduce Republican margins in Acadia and Lafayette Parishes.

District 7 can be won by a Democrat, but that Democrat must campaign early, raise funds early and receive support from the Louisiana Democratic Party and the DCCC.  2008 is also an ideal time to run a strong Democrat in District 7, as Federal Elections in Louisiana will no longer follow the jungle primary model of the state.  According to the Times-Picayune,

In 2008, voters will decide the next U.S. Senate and House elections through a series of party primaries and runoffs to select the most popular Democrat, Republican and third-party candidates. The party nominees will then meet in the November general election, along with any independent candidates.

Democrats and Republicans will have separate primaries for federal elections in 2008, in other words, obviating potential intraparty wars similar to the war between Mount and Cravens that cost Democrats the runoff in 2004. 

This situation is also advantageous to Democrats for another reason.  According to the same Times-Picayune article:

The legacy of that trend still shows up in Louisiana’s voter registration statistics long after other Southern states shifted en masse to the Republican Party. About 54 percent of voters are registered Democrats, compared with 24 percent Republican and 22 percent of other or no affiliation, according to the secretary of state.

If these voters arrive at the polls for the Democratic primary, they will most probably choose a candidate who can compete in all parishes, even Acadia and Lafayette Parishes.  This, I believe, can only be advantageous for Louisiana Democrats.

Now the difficult part is to recruit two or three Louisiana Democrats to run for Boustany’s seat.  There are, thankfully, many Democrats who hold state office in District 7, and I list their names and their offices below.  I also provide other pertinent information.

LOUISIANA STATE HOUSE – Eligible Candidates

Mickey FRITH – District 47
Cameron and Vermilion Parishes
Retired teacher/principal
elected 1995, term limited (ending 2007)
2003 – won 64% against another Dem. in open primary

Elcie J. GUILLORY – District 34
Calcasieu Parish
Retired
elected 1993, term limited (ending 2007)
2003 – won 70% against another Dem. in open primary

Gillis J. PINAC – District 42
Acadia Parish
Corporate Finance
elected 1995, term limited (ending 2007)
2003 – unopposed in open primary

Mickey James GUILLORY – District 41
Acadia, St. Landry and Evangeline Parishes
Retired State Police Officer
elected 2003, final term begins 2011
2003 – defeated Republican 58/42 in open primary

Kenneth Eric LaFLEUR – District 38
Evangeline and St. Landry Parishes
Attorney
elected 1999, final term begins 2007
2003 – defeated Other party candidate 81-91 in open primary

Clara Guilbeau BAUDOIN – District 39
St. Landry, St. Martin and Lafayette Parishes
Public servant
elected 1995, term limited (ending 2007)
2003 – defeated another Dem. and Other party candidate 59-29-12

Wilfred T. PIERRE – District 44
Lafayette Parish
Owner/Manager of Three Frenchmen Janitorial
elected 1991, term limited (ending 2007)
2003 – unopposed

5 Representatives in the state House must retire in 2007 as a result of term limits.  This will give them a year to campaign for the seat if they choose to run.  The other 2 Representatives also have strong resumes, and they too can be encouraged to run.

LOUISIANA STATE SENATE – Eligible Candidates

Willie L. MOUNT – District 27
Calcasieu Parish
Elected to Senate in 2000, eligible to serve through term ending 2012
Former Mayor of Lake Charles, 1992-1999
Candidate for US House in 2004, lost to a Republican 45/55 in runoff
2003 – unopposed

“Nick” GAUTREAUX – District 26
Vermilion, Acadia, Lafayette and St. Landry Parishes
Elected to Senate in 2004, eligible to serve through term ending 2016
2003 – defeated a Republican 54/46 in open primary

MAYORS OF CITIES – Eligible Candidates

Randy ROACH – Mayor of Lake Charles
Calcasieu Parish, population 70,735
appointed 2000, reelected 2001, reelected 2005, defeating another Dem 85/15 in an open primary

Ron LeLEUX – Mayor of Sulphur
Calcasieu Parish, population 19,901
elected 2002, reelected 2006, defeated another Dem 80/20 in an open primary

Mark PIAZZA – Mayor of Abbeville
Acadia Parish, population 11,698
elected 2002, reelected 2006, defeated another Dem 59/41 in an open primary

Terry W. DUHON – Mayor of Jennings
Jefferson Davis Parish, population 10,712
elected 2003, reelected in 2005, defeating a Republican 70/30 in an open primary

James J. “Jimbo” PETITJEAN – Mayor of Rayne
Acadia Parish, population 8,537
in office since at least 1994, unopposed in 2006
(no website)

Hazel MYERS – Mayor of Scott
Lafayette Parish, population 7,855
in office since at least 1994, reelected in 2006, defeating another Dem 64/36

Charles E. LANGLINAIS – Mayor of Broussard
Lafayette and St. Martin Parishes, population 6,314
elected 2002, reelected in 2006, defeating a Republican 57/43 in an open primary

Glenn L. BRASSEAUX – Mayor of Carencro
Lafayette Parish, population 6,022

OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS
C. Dale SITTIG – Louisiana Public Service Commission, Commissioner District 4
Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Catahoula, Evangeline, Grant, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, St. Landry, St. Martin, Vermilion and Vernon Parishes
Louisiana House of Representatives, 1983-1995
Elected 1995, term limited, ending 2010
2004 – unopposed

Officials who were just elected to his or her office are not considered eligible, as are those who will not complete the first term of their office by 2007.

Resources available to activists include the Lafayette Democrats and the Southwest Louisiana Democrats websites and their mutual blog, where 2006 Democratic candidate Mike Stagg and other local Democrats post.  The Lafayette Dems have a weekly cable television show, Blue Mondays, where they interview prominent politicians such as Mary Landrieu.  Episodes of Blue Mondays are available on YouTube.  One of the bloggers at Lafayette Democrats, Anthony Fazzio, is very impressive.  Here are two videos with Fazzio, who is an attorney in Lafayette:

Perhaps Anthony Fazzio can be recruited.

Lafayette Democrats are also putting pressure on Boustany, who has voted against the Democrats’ 100 hours.  Here is the program:

I hope this helps, and I hope we will recruit and support a Democrat in LA-07 in 2008.  Not only will this help us gain a seat in the US House; it will also ensure we do not lose a seat in 2012 when Louisiana will most probably lose a Congressional seat.  Making every Louisiana House seat competitive will also aid Mary Landrieu’s 2008 Senate reelection bid.