It’s been nearly two months since Jeremy Alford last wrote about how the tense political climate and low morale at the Capitol has resulted in a surprising number of open seats. Politicos who begged for dollars to get elected were looking for exists, he says.
“Believe it or not, it’s time for another update on this front. The second year of the current term has barely gotten underway and there are already candidates qualified for three special legislative elections,” Alford writes in his latest column. “And now, thanks to the surprise resignation of former Sen. Troy Brown, there is a fourth special election that has been called.”
Three of the four vacancies are the result of lawmakers seeking other political jobs. The Senate vacancy, however, came about because Brown—plagued by domestic battery charges—jumped ship last week before his colleagues could vote to expel him, Alford says. A special election to fill the seat has been called for April 29, with qualifying set for mid-March.
Alford says another opening could occur in the Legislature if freshman lawmaker and Rep. Stephen Dwight, of House District 35, gets recruited by President Donald Trump for a federal judicial bench in the Western District.
“For now, there are certainly enough scheduled legislative elections on March 25 to keep politicos busy in Louisiana,” Alford writes. “There are special elections in the House districts anchored by Crowley, Shreveport and Kenner. There’s a very strong likelihood that Republicans will sweep all of these elections, which is especially notable in Crowley’s House District 42—that seat, long held by a Democrat, has been repeatedly targeted by the state GOP and has only Republicans running.”
The allure of the Louisiana Legislature just wasn’t enough to keep them coming to Baton Rouge, Alford says, adding that the lawmakers elected in those districts sought or accepted other political positions. And prior to their departures, he notes, former Reps. Bryan Adams and Joe Lopinto both resigned in early 2016.
“On their way out, the two men spoke publicly about being frustrated with the process. Privately, many other lawmakers are saying the same,” he writes. “The Legislature is more divided than ever, social media keeps elected officials under an all-seeing microscope and a seemingly nonstop budget mess is overshadowing other important policy initiatives. There’s a chance this Legislature could even set a record for turnover if the current pace keeps up.”
Jeremy Alford publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter, or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
