UPDATE: I'm hearing that the Big Orange blog will be releasing polling data on Louisiana later this week.
Sinator Vitter dodged one potential opponent in the Republican primary in the person of former Rep. John Cooksey, who was reported to be setting up a committee to explore the idea of running for the seat.
"I am not running for the U.S. Senate against David Vitter."
That's fine ... as we are still looking at a nice GOP menage a trois - the Sinator, the Adult Film Star, and the Moralizer. Should be fun!
On the Democratic side, Congressman Charlie Melancon has repeatedly been asked to consider running for state-wide office. Thus far, he has refused to make a run, preferring to remain in the House, where he leads the Blue Dog Caucus. For the 2010 Senate race, that seems to be the case as well:
"Never say never, but I'm not contemplating a run at this time."
That leaves the field to two candidates that are actively considering making the race:
Jim Bernhard: the former Chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party, and founder of one of Louisiana's Fortune 500 companies, The Shaw Group, has been out and about meeting folks up in Washington and here in Louisiana about making a run for the Senate. I have no doubt that the DSCC LOVES the idea of a Bernhard run, because Mr. Bernhard can self-finance.
Honestly, I'm not impressed by the Democratic field right now. Chris John is a conservative pro-business type that will run a center-right campaign, which will not go anywhere. I don't know Mr. Bernhard's politics, other than he's a Democrat. But I do know that uber-wealthy candidates often lose. I'll keep an open mind on him, but I'd like to know where he stands on various issues. I'd also like to see a certain CenLa Mayor get in the race. He knows who he is.
Last week, I brought this ad on Craigslist to your attention. But there is much, much more happening in regards to 2010:
Two commentators have dropped Don Cazayoux's name as a candidate for the Senate in 2010, here and here. This may be why the Business Report reported today that Senator Landrieu is among those pushing to have Cazayoux named as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana.
According to well-placed sources, one on the Republican side of the aisle, and another on the Democratic side of the aisle, Congressman Rodney Alexander is considering running for the Senate in 2010. And these sources tell me he's not made up his mind entirely as to which party he'd make the run in! I can't see Alexander being welcomed with open arms in the Democratic primary, so my guess is he's stuck in the GOP.
It's an open secret within Democratic politics that Shaw Chairman Jim Bernhard is seriously considering running for the Senate. What folks don't know is that some of the big money donors in Louisiana Democratic politics, like Sarah Palin donor Calvin Fayard, are attempting to clear the field for Mr. Bernhard. Whether they are successful is another matter, as rumors abound that the Landrieu camp is trying to entice a Central or Northern Louisiana Democrat into the race.
Sinator Vitter is still attempting to shore up his biggest weakness - North Louisiana - by calling into Tom Pace's "Talk of the Town" radio show tomorrow on Shreveport's KRMD-AM 1340. You can listen in here.
All the huffing and puffing of the great ethics special session charade is over and now it's back to business as usual in Louisiana politics as run by Republicans.
Lafayette's The Independent weekly's blog, The Ind, has a story today about how the Ethics Governor, the Ethics Speaker and the Ethics Republican State Senator from Lafayette are joining forces to raise money for Republican campaign finance lawbreaker Don Trahan.
Trahan, The Independent reported in December, accepted more than $23,000 in political action committee (PAC) contributions in excess of the limit allowed by state campaign finance laws. Trahan won re-election with that illegal money by only 33 votes.
Michot, who took exception to Trahan campaign literature that claimed the senator had endorsed him over his opponent Nancy Landry, defended his embrace of Trahan now:
Don Cazayoux's announcement that he will run for Rep. Baker's 6th CD seat is making the rounds up on Capital Hill in Washington, D.C. The link directs y'all to one of the two newspapers serving Congress - The Hill.
The article discusses the impact of population shifts into Baton Rouge as a result of Hurricane Katrina, with one report claiming that some 30,000 folks having moved into the greater Baton Rouge area, but a Greg Rigamer, the head of a voter database consulting firm - GCR & Associates - who counts among his clients Governor PBJ, and Sinator Vitter, claims that any impact will be negligible because most of those folks have moved back to New Orleans.
I think that there will be a major impact by these folks as they start paying attention to the Presidential race, and voter registration drives start getting underway to register them. My guess is that there will be more new Democrats, based on the knowledge that most of New Orleans was Democratic.
The article does point out that two Democrats often rumored to be eyeing the seat - Mayor-President Kip Holden of Baton Rouge, and Marjorie McKeithen, who ran the most successful campaign against Baker in recent memory, falling short by 2 points, 51-49 - are not going to be candidates.
The Advocate mentions State Rep. Michael Jackson of Baton Rouge and failed politico wanna-be Jason DeCuir, who spectacularly failed to win a State Senate seat here in Baton Rouge this past fall, as potential contenders for the seat.
But no one is talking about a potential bid by Shaw Group CEO Jim Bernhard. I heard talk among Democratic insiders this past summer of Bernhard putting polls into the field regarding the Governor's race. He ultimately decided not to make a run, but he might see this seat as an opportunity for him to become well-known enough to make a statewide bid a possibility down the road.
