Absent superstar political candidates and red-hot issues, the race to be Louisiana’s next treasurer has thus far failed to generate any real excitement, Jeremy Alford says in his latest column.
“Lonely, overlooked and a bit of a bore, the treasurer’s race has become the redheaded stepchild of Louisiana politics this year,” Alford writes of the only statewide seat on the Oct. 14 ballot. “So much so that even donors aren’t stroking checks like they usually do.”
Fatigue is one of the culprits, Alford says, noting associations, wealthy civic activists and corporate leaders have already endured a non-stop, three-year election cycle, from 2014 through 2016.
Though high-profile GOP donors are noticeably holding back, Alford says “they’re confident that the next state treasurer is going to be a Republican”—either former commissioner of administration Angele Davis of Baton Rouge, state Sen. Neil Riser of Columbia or former state Rep. John Schroder of Covington.
“Some conservative donors have had a hard time drawing distinctions between the three leading candidates, which is to say they’ll be pleased no matter which contender wins. They don’t see a reason to spend money needlessly,” Alford writes. “Donors also like to pick winners, but so do politicians, and a nod from the latter will most certainly bring in dollars from the former. Had some political heavyweights like U.S. Sen. John Kennedy or Gov. John Bel Edwards picked a horse in the race, contributions would have likely spiked.”
Only one Democrat, New Orleans attorney Derrick Edwards, is on the ballot. Alford notes he raised just $6,500 during the last reporting period and had $666 in his coffers.
“The best we can hope for right now is that donor fatigue doesn’t translate into voter fatigue,” he writes. “But given the dismal turnout forecasts that are floating around—15% to 20% statewide—that seems to be exactly what we’re looking at as September comes to a close. “
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.
