[StBernard] Republican candidates for governor have hefty campaign funds

[Westley Annis]

Republican candidates for governor have hefty campaign funds
2/15/2007, 5:39 p.m. CT
The Associated Press    

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco will wage her
re-election campaign with a hefty $3 million war chest, but at least two of
her Republican challengers are entering the election season with fat
campaign coffers as well.

Blanco raised $954,000 last year to add to the more than $2 million she had
in hand when the year began, according to her latest campaign finance report
filed Thursday with the Louisiana Board of Ethics.

Showing significant fundraising prowess, U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal - who lost
the governor's job to Blanco four years ago - raised $2.3 million in 2006 to
beef up the dollars left in his campaign account from his previous
gubernatorial bid to nearly $2.7 million.

Meanwhile, Republican New Orleans businessman John Georges has plowed $2
million of his own fortune into his campaign.

The campaign finance reports - charting contributions and spending over the
2006 year - were due to the ethics board on Thursday. They are considered a
measure of a candidate's viability as the governor's race starts to take
shape.

The primary election is Oct. 20, with a runoff scheduled Nov. 17.

Blanco raised money from 554 contributors last year, running the gamut from
individual donors to businesses and lobbying firms, according to her
financial documents.

Jindal's report showed more than 3,000 individuals donating money to the
campaign. He far exceeded the $1 million goal he set to raise by the end of
2006. The Republican congressman from Kenner spent very little of his
campaign cash, about $23,000.

Georges had only one donation, a $250 campaign contribution from a man in
Metairie.

Other announced candidates for governor include state Sen. Walter Boasso,
R-Arabi; Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, a Democrat from Elm
Grove in northern Louisiana; and Libertarian T. Lee Horne III of Franklin.

The full slate of candidates remains unclear. Other possible candidates
mentioned include U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, a Democrat from southeastern
Louisiana, and Jim Bernhard, a former state Democratic Party chairman and
chief executive officer of The Shaw Group Inc. However, neither one filed a
candidate report documenting funds raised in 2006.