U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon of Napoleonville might be the top Louisiana Democrat in the House, but back home in the 3rd Congressional District, he’s on shaky ground. After being re-elected unopposed to a third term in 2008 and starting this year off with roughly $1 million in his campaign kitty, Melancon, at least on paper, shouldn’t be sweating much. But as the 2010 election cycle closes in and redistricting threatens to tear apart his political base, Melancon is facing real opposition.
In Ascension Parish recently, business owners were lobbying Sheriff Jeff Wiley, a Democrat, to run against Melancon. Wiley, says a campaign isn’t in the cards, although he admits that anything can happen the next few months. “I’m flattered by the notion, but I enjoy being sheriff and I don’t have intentions to be anything but sheriff,” he says. “I don’t see me running.”
Meanwhile, the National Republican Campaign Committee, which has already been running attack ads against Melancon, has been courting state Rep. Nickie Monica, R-LaPlace. For his part, Monica says the 3rd Congressional District is much more conservative than many people think and U.S. Sen. John McCain carried the region with 61% as last year’s Republican presidential candidate. “What gets me is the congressman comes back in the district and says he’s a (fiscally-conservative) Blue Dog Democrat, but he doesn’t have the record to back it up,” Monica says. “I want to challenge that.”—Jeremy Alford
