So, Obama narrowly won East Baton Rouge Parish, and almost straight down racial lines (as went the state).
I'm half-inclined to believe that this is partially due to lower investment in Louisiana from the Obama campaign. Sure, we're not the prize that Virginia, Florida, or Ohio would have been, and it would have been a lot more work to win Louisiana.
So, it definitely appears that downticket races didn't have quite the coattails we were hoping for. But, it definitely helped Mary Landrieu win re-election, and by a healthier margin this go round.
LA-06 - In some regards, I feel that if Cazayoux were to run, like Landrieu did, on "ability to deliver the goods for the constituents", this would have been a bit closer. But, Michael Jackson definitely earned his paycheck from L. Lane Grigsby.
EBR Bond Proposal - I feel like the Audubon Alive! affair was the poison pill that killed it. The $270-280 million price tag to, basically build another zoo in East Baton Rouge Parish just seemed like too much. I anticipate the bond proposal re-emerging around March, minus Audubon Alive, and I see it passing by a decent margin.
State Senate District 16 - Steve Carter (the Republican Representative from District 68) will be vying for Cassidy's old seat, and is currently the favorite for it. Expect a special election to fill the Senate seat soon, and then another one (if Carter wins), to fill Carter's old seat. House district 68 could be a decent Dem pickup, for a properly organized candidate.
EBR Metro Council - No real surprises here, save for RJ Bourgeois' narrow defeat of South Baton Rouge anti-booze stalwart Jim Benham. There is some talk that Bourgeois will be disqualified, based on the location of his residence. I'm unsure as to how parish electoral law works on this. Also, it appears that Tara Wicker is my councilperson (won by 6 votes). She definitely seems like a sharp lady, with a firm grasp of governance, so I feel this is probably a good step forward for Baton Rouge. Similarly, Alison Cascio, despite the R next to her name, seems like a good step forward in District 11.
