NRCC MEMO: LOUISIANA PRIMARY RESULTS
TO: INTERESTED PARTIES
FROM: NRCC POLITICAL AND NRCC COMMUNICATIONS
DATE: AUGUST 28, 2010
SUBJECT: LOUISIANA PRIMARY RESULTS
Louisiana has been ahead of the curve in opposing Washington’s big-government agenda. George W. Bush and John McCain both carried the state easily, and it has been trending Republican throughout the past four presidential elections. Historically, the majority of Louisiana’s congressional districts tend to elect Republicans, with the only Democrat Member retiring from his House seat because he knew he couldn’t survive in the conservative region of the state. In the state’s sole deep Democrat district, ethics problems and corruption brought down an entrenched incumbent who was defeated by political newcomer Rep. Joseph Cao. Given the state’s history and the nation’s growing anti-Democrat sentiment, Republicans are poised to mount serious campaigns in competitive South Louisiana races this fall.
Incumbents:
LA-02 (Rep. Joseph Cao, R)
Representative Joseph Cao was elected in 2008 after defeating corrupt Democrat incumbent William Jefferson, whose felony bribery charges were the last straw for voters who grew tired of headlines about his ongoing federal investigation. Cao, the first Vietnamese-American elected to Congress, has since served Louisiana’s Second Congressional District with honesty and integrity. With a passion for justice, Cao came to Washington, D.C., to advocate for recovery and rebuilding efforts, for which he has successfully secured millions of dollars. After receiving his law degree from Loyola School of Law, he worked as the in-house counsel for Boat People S.O.S, Inc., an organization that assists Vietnamese immigrants. In 2002, Cao was chosen by Archbishop Alfred Hughes to become a member of the National Advisory Council of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
As a resident of New Orleans, Cao too felt the effects of Hurricane Katrina, losing both his house and law office in 2005. Five years later, Cao has cut much of the bureaucratic red tape to help families and small businesses in South Louisiana recover and rebuild. He currently serves on the Committees on Homeland Security, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Oversight and Government.
State Representative Cedric Richmond will be challenging Cao in November, and just like Jefferson, Richmond has some ethical baggage of his own. His rap sheet includes a misdemeanor charge resulting from a violent bar fight, in addition to a suspended law license from the Louisiana State Bar Association for perjury on an election application. With other prominent congressional Democrats facing ethical charges themselves, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s endorsement of Richmond is further proof that Speaker Pelosi and her party are still wading in the ethical swamp they pledged to drain in 2006. In a time of high unemployment, Richmond’s record for increasing taxes and voting against creating a balanced budget will prove damaging to Louisiana’s struggling economy.
In November, voters will have a chance to re-elect Representative Joseph Cao, who has offered a new beginning in the wake of Jefferson’s corruption and is dedicated to eliminating waste and fraud while continuing to rebuild and reenergize Louisiana’s economy.
History: While the district is historically Democratic, electing President Obama in 2008 and John Kerry in 2004, Republican Joseph Cao’s win in 2008 sent a message to Washington that they wanted change.
Geography: Louisiana’s Second Congressional District includes almost all of New Orleans. The district includes almost half of Jefferson Parish and the neighborhoods of Metairie and Kenner and the towns of Harvey, Marrero and Westwego.
Open Seats:
LA-03 (Rep. Charlie Melancon, D)
Democrat Representative Charlie Melancon disingenuously sold himself as a Blue Dog Democrat, but after voting for his party’s failed trillion-dollar stimulus Louisiana families knew that his rhetoric was not matching his record in Washington. With his job on the line, Louisiana’s lone Democrat Representative ran away from his House seat knowing he faced a challenging path to re-election in this conservative district. Now, with an open seat in play, Louisiana’s Third Congressional District is likely to flip to the Republican column in November.
Because no one secured 50 percent of the vote tonight, Republicans Jeff Landry and Hunt Downer will face each other again in an October run-off.
As a small business owner, veteran and attorney, Landry understands the challenges facing Louisiana and our nation. Born and raised in South Louisiana, Landry started working in the sugar cane fields just out of high school. He then went on to serve in local law enforcement before joining the Louisiana National Guard and later the United States Army. By working for the St. Martin Economic Development Authority and co-founding his own small business, Landry understands how to leverage local resources to create jobs.
Hunt Downer served his state and country for over 35 years before recently retiring as Major General from the United States Army and Louisiana National Guard. As Cabinet Secretary for the Louisiana Department of Affairs, Downer took the lead in implementing many reform measures, including restoring fiscal responsibility and transparency back to the legislative process. Downer has grown as a leader in the efforts to save, protect and restore the Louisiana coast and priceless natural resources.
Facing off against the Republican nominee in November is Democrat candidate and business attorney Ravi Sangisetty, whose youth and inexperience is accentuated by his atrocious voting record. By his own admission, Sangisetty never voted prior to 2009 – even skipping the 2008 presidential primary election while working for Hillary Clinton. Sangisetty claims he was “apolitical” then and “didn’t have that much of an interest in politics” less than two years ago. With the country in economic turmoil, Louisiana families deserve more than what Sangisetty can offer them – unreliability. In a job that requires strong conviction and advocacy, Sangisetty’s blank voting record begs the question: What does he even stand for?
With no relief in sight, voters will turn to the polls in November and elect a representative who will work hard to create jobs to restore Louisiana’s economy. Louisiana families need a leader and they will only find that in the Republican nominee this November.
History: Melancon narrowly won in 2004 after running for the seat vacated by retiring Republican, Billy Tauzin. In 2008 John McCain handily won this R+12 district with 61 percent of the vote. In 2004, George W. Bush won with 58 percent of the vote.
Geography: Louisiana’s Third Congressional District includes most of the southern portion of the Greater New Orleans area, including Louisiana’s swamplands and Cajun country. The district includes over a dozen parishes and the cities of Chalmette, Gonzales, Houma, Thibodaux, Morgan City and New Iberia.
Election Results
The following are the unofficial results from Saturday’s primary election in Louisiana.
These results are UNOFFICIAL AND INCOMPLETE until certified by the Louisiana Secretary of State:
*Denotes winner
**Denotes Oct. 2nd run-off
LA-02 (Democrat Primary):
34.3% precincts reporting
Cedric Richmond 63.8%*
Juan LaFonta 18.2%
Eugene Green 10.4%
Gary Johnson 7.6%
LA-03 (GOP Primary):
100% precincts reporting
Jeff Landry 49.6%**
Hunt Downer 36.1%**
Kristian Magar 14.3%