WASHINGTON - Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., will file a new financial report Thursday that says she has accumulated $2.53 million for her re-election race next year, the Landrieu campaign said. That's 2 ½ times as much as she reported for the start of her previous re-election campaign in 2008. Some political analysts said that Landrieu, facing an increasingly conservative...
WASHINGTON - Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., will file a new financial report Thursday that says she has accumulated $2.53 million for her re-election race next year, the Landrieu campaign said. That's 2 ½ times as much as she reported for the start of her previous re-election campaign in 2008.
Some political analysts said that Landrieu, facing an increasingly conservative and Republican electorate in Louisiana, will need a robust campaign fund, though that's no guarantee she'll prevail.
"She is one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress, and therefore one of the few political moderates left in Congress; she has long been active in moderate Democratic and bipartisan coalitions in Congress," said Christine Day, a political scientist at the University of New Orleans. "As Congress becomes increasingly polarized along party lines, moderates like Sen. Landrieu seem to be a dying breed. She does need to raise a lot of money for her reelection campaign."
Among her potential GOP opponents in 2014 is Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, who, at the end of November, reported $2 million in his campaign treasury after easily winning re-election against two underfunded opponents. Also considered potential challengers are Rep. John Fleming, R-Minden, who had $458,000 in cash on hand, after Democrats failed in their effort to get a serious candidate to run against him.
Former Rep. Jeff Landry, R-New Iberia, who lost his re-election bid to fellow Republican incumbent Charles Boustany of Lafayette, is also a potential candidate. Some political pundits now believe that Gov. Bobby Jindal won't enter the race, and instead gear up to run for president in 2016.
Brian Brox, a Tulane University political scientist agrees that Landrieu needs to raise a lot of money, though money alone isn't enough to guarantee victory in an increasingly conservative state.
"It will help her to create a campaign organization that will locate and mobilize every potential Landrieu voter," Brox said. "Given the political trends in this state as well as the fact that she's running in a midterm election, turning out every Democratic vote will be critical in what should be a very competitive race."
In a statement, Landrieu's campaign said that Republicans looking to unseat the three-term incumbent may find it more difficult path than expected, citing support for her from some prominent Republicans.
Among those mentioned by her campaign are former Republican Party Chairman Boysie Bollinger, whose Lockport shipyard company has benefited from Landrieu's funding requests at the Senate Appropriations Committee, State Rep. Joe Harrison, R-Houma and Ted Falgout, the former executive director of Port Fourchon.
"I'm helping her," Bollinger said in an interview Thursday. "She's doing a good job for the state. She's doing a good job for Bollinger and a good job for industry."
Christopher Bollinger, the executive vice president for Bollinger Shipyards, gave $5,000 to the Landrieu campaign, according to the senator's campaign report, which ran through Dec. 31.
Landrieu received many $5,000 donations, $200 short of the maximum. Among them:
James Cashman, president of Cashman Equipment Corp. in Massachusetts; Gerard Sweeney, president of Rain Carbon LLC of Stamford, Ct; William Hammack, co-owner of NewOrleans.com Media; Tara Hernandez of JCH Development of New Orleans; Marina operator Rena Cross of Belle Chasse; Donald Link of the Link Restaurant Group in New Orleans; George Kleinpeter Jr., president of Burk-Kleinpeter Inc. of New Orleans; and Covington Real Estate Developer James Maurin.
Also Attorney Michael McKay of Baton Rouge; Thomas Coleman, CEO of Matex Tank Terminal in New Orleans; Charles Hutchison, a Lafayette homemaker; Tina Rickards, a Panama City, Fla., teacher; Attorney Drew Rainer of Lake Charles; Retired Baton Rouge resident John Kelly Jr.; Farmer Susie Ater of Ferriday; Roger Ogden, a New Orleans real estate developer; Reserve attorney Daniel Becnel Jr.; New Orleans Attorney Allan Kanner; Robert Savoie of New Orleans, CEO of Geocent Inc.; Sulphur Attorney J. Rock Palermo III and Chuck Fuller of Panama City, Fla., owner of Fuller Property Services Inc.
Also Paul Barcus, owner of Florida's Best Creamery in Miramar Beach, Fla; Robert Bailey, development manager for Ditto Residential in Washington D.C.; Michael Reese, owner of Leesville Moving & Storage in Leesville; New Orleans Real Estate Developer Roger Ogden; Lakes Charles Investor Kay Dore; Harahan General Contractor Michael Marsiglia; James Massie of Alexandria Va., a government relations consultant.
Metairie Attorneys Donna and John Cummings each gave $5,000 to the Landrieu campaign.
Some gave pretty close to the $5,000 - the largest donations contained in Landrieu's year-end report.
Among them R. Christian Johnsen, a lobbyist and attorney with Jones Walker in Washington D.C, $4,500; Laura Leach, who operates a business education business in Lake Charles, $4,900; and Charles Kennedy Jr., president of the Kennedy Financial Group of New Orleans.