Welcome to the Jungle,
Jungle Primary that is…
The 2015 elections have brought in a new species in a big
way to the jungle that is Louisiana politics. SUPER PACs
involvement this year has turned out the most expensive
and whirlwind gubernatorial election reporting cycle in
Louisiana history. Combined fundraising and SUPER PAC funds
for just the Governor's race come to approximately $25
million. Louisiana elections this year also can carry the
jungle mentality far into the first term of our new Governor,
to be decided in a run-off November 21, 2015.
As you may have seen in our previous email of election results
this morning, Representative John Bel Edwards (D-Amite) and
U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-Metairie) are headed towards the
gubernatorial November 21 run-off. With 40% and 23% respectively
out of a 9 person race, Edwards and Vitter will go into a party
showdown focusing not only on the future of the state budget, but
also on common core, Medicaid expansion, higher education, and
healthcare. Here are the top four contender's numbers.
|
Candidate
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
|
Scott A. Angelle (R)
|
214,907
|
19%
|
|
"Jay" Dardenne (R)
|
166,553
|
15%
|
|
John Bel Edwards (D)
|
444,061
|
40%
|
|
David Vitter (R)
|
256,105
|
23%
|
The other five contenders in the race averaged a 0-1% in all
totaling 31,850 votes.
Voter disenchantment must be taken into account as well. With
a 7% absentee voter turnout and 38.5% Election Day voter turnout
in the Governor's race (10% lower than what was predicted), voters
appear burned out. Unsure as to the cause of fatigue, possibly
being our current Governor's 8 year term in which he seemed to
be preparing for his waning race for President of the United
States, the assumed aversion for the lack of solutions in the
budget crisis, the lay-offs occurring due to the drop of the
price of oil, etc. This apathy is especially confounding in some
areas with heated legislative and/or local races; voter turnout
was still very low. Taking into account 50% of the House of
Representatives and 54% of the Senate were re-elected without
opposition upon qualifying; which left 53 House and 18 Senate
seats up for this weekend's election.
Whoever is elected Governor will have to immediately dig deep
and try to figure a way for Louisiana to dig out of the State
budget woes, which is definitely a jungle of its own. With
continuous shortfalls and currently $700 million budget gap
for Fiscal Year 2015-2016, all four leading candidates vowed
to call one if not two special sessions beginning in January
to deal with Louisiana's budget before the regular session
begins in March of 2015. Low oil prices, recent 2014/2015
session rollback of tax incentives and credits for business,
shortfalls in the TOPS program (State Higher Education
Scholarship program) and Medicaid funding all weigh heavily
in the process. The new governor may have to make choices to
expand his rational to find innovative solutions to continuous
problems; even if it may result in them becoming a one-term
governor. But that is to be seen. If the economy rebounds,
oil prices rise, healthcare and education budgets are protected
or not, new revenue is found; the tune could change.
Here is a run-down of those Incumbent legislators who lost
election bids and elections headed to the November 21 runoff
state-wide and legislative….
Incumbent (Inc.) Legislators who lost re-election…
|
House District 39
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
|
|
Julie Emerson (R)
|
6149
|
51%
|
Winner
|
|
Stephen Ortego (D) Inc.
|
5902
|
49%
|
|
|
House District 87
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
|
|
Rodney Lyons, Sr. (D)
|
2883
|
59%
|
Winner
|
|
Ebony Woodruff (D) Inc.
|
2034
|
41%
|
|
|
House District 94
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
|
|
Stephanie Hilferty (R)
|
6866
|
56%
|
Winner
|
|
Nicholas J. "Nick" Lorusso (R) Inc.
|
5343
|
44%
|
|
Rest of Run-off Elections for Statewide and Legislative Seats…
|
Lieutenant Governor
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Melvin "Kip" Holden (D)
|
360679
|
33%
|
X
|
|
"Billy" Nungesser (R)
|
324654
|
30%
|
X
|
|
John Young (R)
|
313183
|
29%
|
|
|
Elbert Lee Guillory (R)
|
85460
|
8%
|
|
|
Attorney General
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
James D. "Buddy" Caldwell (R) Inc.
|
376187
|
35%
|
X
|
|
"Jeff" Landry (R)
|
347441
|
33%
|
X
|
|
"Geri" Broussard Baloney (D)
|
187332
|
18%
|
|
|
Isaac "Ike" Jackson (D)
|
115037
|
11%
|
|
|
"Marty" Maley (R)
|
37787
|
4%
|
|
|
Senate District 7
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Troy Carter (D)
|
7700
|
37%
|
X
|
|
Jeff Arnold (D)
|
6858
|
33%
|
X
|
|
Leslie Ellison (D)
|
3097
|
15%
|
|
|
Roy A. Glapion (D)
|
2957
|
14%
|
|
|
Senate District 12
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
"Beth" Mizell (R)
|
14344
|
43%
|
X
|
|
"Mickey" Murphy (D)
|
10767
|
33%
|
X
|
|
Brett K. Duncan (R)
|
6827
|
21%
|
|
|
John Seal (No Party)
|
1138
|
3%
|
|
|
Senate District 36
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Henry Burns (R)
|
10202
|
40%
|
X
|
|
Ryan Gatti (R)
|
8649
|
34%
|
X
|
|
Todd Hollenshead (D)
|
6465
|
26%
|
|
|
Senate District 38
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Richard "Richie" Burford (R)
|
9566
|
35%
|
X
|
|
John Milkovich (D)
|
9061
|
33%
|
X
|
|
Cloyce Clark (R)
|
5885
|
22%
|
|
|
Jemayel Warren (D)
|
2693
|
10%
|
|
|
House District 29
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Ronnie Edwards (D)
|
3733
|
36%
|
X
|
|
Edmond Jordan (D)
|
2966
|
29%
|
X
|
|
Vereta T. Lee (D)
|
2593
|
25%
|
|
|
Daniel Banguel (D)
|
1054
|
10%
|
|
|
House District 32
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Dorothy Sue Hill (D) Inc.
|
5226
|
49%
|
X
|
|
Llewellyn "Biscuit" Smith (R)
|
3957
|
37%
|
X
|
|
Zollie "Ty" Pearce (D)
|
1395
|
13%
|
|
|
House District 34
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Wilford Dan Carter, Sr. (D)
|
3501
|
38%
|
X
|
|
A.B. Franklin (D) Inc.
|
3215
|
35%
|
X
|
|
Thomas "Tom" Quirk (R)
|
1668
|
18%
|
|
|
Alvin Joseph (D)
|
743
|
8%
|
|
|
House District 40
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Dustin Miller (D)
|
3259
|
29%
|
X
|
|
Donovan K. Hudson (D)
|
2107
|
19%
|
X
|
|
Allen Guillory, Sr. (R)
|
1623
|
15%
|
|
|
Charles G. Renaud (D)
|
1168
|
11%
|
|
|
Pamela Burleigh (D)
|
923
|
8%
|
|
|
"Val" Senegal (D)
|
801
|
7%
|
|
|
"Mike" Grimes (D)
|
677
|
6%
|
|
|
"Joe" Charles (D)
|
524
|
5%
|
|
|
House District 45
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
André Comeaux (R)
|
4578
|
41%
|
X
|
|
Jean-Paul Coussan (R)
|
4098
|
37%
|
X
|
|
Jan Swift (R)
|
2458
|
22%
|
|
|
House District 51
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Beryl Adams Amedee (R)
|
3391
|
41%
|
X
|
|
"Joe" Harrison (R) Inc.
|
3070
|
37%
|
X
|
|
Howard J. Castay, Jr. (D)
|
1899
|
23%
|
|
|
House District 53
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Tanner Magee (R)
|
3073
|
34%
|
X
|
|
Lenar Whitney (R) Inc.
|
3064
|
34%
|
X
|
|
Brenda Leroux Babin (D)
|
2809
|
31%
|
|
|
House District 60
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Chad Brown (D)
|
7622
|
46%
|
X
|
|
James Barker (Other)
|
4240
|
26%
|
X
|
|
Michael "Mike" Latino (R)
|
3125
|
19%
|
|
|
Thomas G. Gaudet (D)
|
1597
|
10%
|
|
|
House District 63
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Ulysses "Bones" Addison, Jr. (D)
|
3030
|
33%
|
X
|
|
Barbara West Carpenter, (D)
|
2739
|
30%
|
X
|
|
Joyce Marie Plummer (D)
|
2047
|
22%
|
|
|
James Slaughter, Jr. (D)
|
697
|
8%
|
|
|
House District 66
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Darrell Ourso (R) Inc.
|
4660
|
38%
|
X
|
|
"Rick" Edmonds (R)
|
2869
|
23%
|
X
|
|
"Rick" Bond (R)
|
1924
|
16%
|
|
|
Antoine Pierce (D)
|
1889
|
15%
|
|
|
"Rusty" Secrist (R)
|
1007
|
8%
|
|
|
House District 69
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
Paula Davis (R)
|
4261
|
38%
|
X
|
|
Ryan Heck (R)
|
4173
|
37%
|
X
|
|
Mark Holden (D)
|
2706
|
24%
|
|
|
House District 72
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
"Robby" Carter (D)
|
5457
|
43%
|
X
|
|
Hunter Carter (D)
|
2536
|
20%
|
X
|
|
Janice Reid Holland (D)
|
2046
|
16%
|
|
|
Osa Betts Williams (D)
|
1585
|
13%
|
|
|
David Ridder (D)
|
1029
|
8%
|
|
|
House District 99
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
"Jimmy" Harris (D)
|
3956
|
47%
|
X
|
|
Ray Crawford (D)
|
2514
|
30%
|
X
|
|
Markeita Prevost (D)
|
1929
|
23%
|
|
|
House District 100
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
John Bagneris (D)
|
3009
|
38%
|
X
|
|
Alicia Plummer Clivens (D)
|
2203
|
28%
|
X
|
|
Willie Jones (D)
|
1906
|
24%
|
|
|
Shawn Lockett (D)
|
886
|
11%
|
|
|
House District 103
|
Votes
|
Percentage
|
Run-Off
|
|
"Ray" Garofalo (R) Inc.
|
4588
|
39%
|
X
|
|
Casey Hunnicutt (D)
|
2597
|
22%
|
X
|
|
Leola Anderson (D)
|
2275
|
19%
|
|
|
George Cavignac (R)
|
2244
|
19%
|
|
There is less than a month until the general run-off elections on
November 21, with early voting running from November 7-14. We can
provide you with more information on these races and contenders
should you need. Please contact us with any questions.
