[StBernard] Louisiana Governor-

[Westley Annis]

Louisiana Governor-

There have been major developments in this state over the past month, and
they relate to at Republican pickup becoming very close to a sure thing.
The day after the Democrat Attorney General of Louisiana refused to issue an
opinion in the quest for former U.S. Senate John Breaux, now a resident of
Maryland, to be declared eligible to seek the Governorship, Breaux decided
that he could not move forward with a campaign amidst that uncertainty. A
lot of political observers had considered Breaux to be the only hope for the
party in keeping the office, despite the fact that Breaux had been trailing
a Republican candidate, Congressman Bobby Jindal in a couple of polls.

Speculation then turned to Democrat Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu but he too
has ruled out a run for the top spot. While a couple other names will
continue to be mentioned before the September filing deadline (including
bizarrely enough the unpopular incumbent Governor Kathleen Blanco who just
announced her retirement plans this spring), there are but two second-tier
candidates running as Democrats.

One is State Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, who has been in
the race for months now, and the other is State Senator Walter Boasso, who
until this week, was planning to seek the office as a Republican. In truth,
Boasso is probably still a Republican, but because of Louisiana's unique
election system and the historic weakness of the political party as an
institution in the state, his party switch, for the purpose of this
election, is really not all that extraordinary.

The fact that the Republican Party is so united behind Jindal led Boasso to
the decision that the best way for him to have any chance of advancing to
the November runoff, would be to run as a Democrat. However, many believe
that now that Jindal will face one less Republican opponent on the October
ballot, his chances of reaching a majority of the vote in the October jungle
primary, and winning the Governorship outright, are probably now greater.

Jindal is very close to having this one called "safe" for him, but not quite
yet, as in Louisiana, you never really know what else might happen.

May rating- Likely Republican