The Covington Republican's two opponents raised little to no money to challenge his re-election bid
Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain is getting a second term in office. Strain, a Republican veterinarian from Covington, easily defeated two opponents Saturday who had raised little to no money to challenge his re-election bid.
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A former state House member, Strain said he had managed the Department of Agriculture and Forestry frugally, touting his reductions in agriculture department staff, debt load, planes and vehicles.
His challengers were Belinda Alexandrenko, a Reform Party candidate from Lafayette, and Jamie LaBranche, a Democrat from LaPlace.
Alexandrenko had run unsuccessfully for governor three times. LaBranche, a horticulturist, had never run for office. He pushed a proposal for Louisiana to grow poppy plants, the basis for opium, at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, saying it could create a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical industry for Louisiana.
