Even if the contenders running for treasurer had the campaign cash to promote their candidacies nonstop on statewide television, it’s doubtful voters would be willing to engage, Jeremy Alford says in his latest column.
“Voters, in fact, are barely hitting the snooze bar when it comes to this race, which is to say many of them will likely sleep right through it,” Alford writes. “Polling shows most folks are as undecided as they are unexcited, and turnout predictions are hovering around the 20% mark, if not less. That has made for a political battle that has so far been waged on a regional basis, rather than statewide.”
Not surprisingly, the hottest action is taking place in New Orleans, Alford says, noting a mayoral race is also being fought there.
Sen. Neil Riser of Caldwell Parish early on snagged the endorsement of the Orleans Parish Republican Executive Committee—which former State. Rep. John Schroder, of nearby St. Tammany Parish, badly wanted.
Schroder, Alford notes, did rebound in mid-August, gaining an endorsement from the Greater New Orleans Republicans PAC.
“It has been an interesting exercise to watch—two Republican candidates slugging it out for votes in a Democrat-dominated city,” he writes. “The focus on New Orleans is an early signal that turnout will be high there, what with a major mayoral election on the ballot.”
Riser, meanwhile, is making notable moves in Lafayette and Lake Charles while New Orleans Attorney Derrick Edwards—the only Democrat in the race—struggles to be competitive, Alford says.
The Louisiana Democratic Party refused to endorse Edwards due to his late campaign finance filings and other concerns though the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee voted last week to stand by him, Alford writes.
In Baton Rouge, Angele Davis is hoping to galvanize her hometown and the nearby Florida Parishes in hopes of finding a place in the runoff. Local politicos in north Louisiana tell Alford that Schroder has been chasing endorsements and cash in Riser’s backyard with varying degrees of success.
“As for which region is the most important, that depends on the candidate,” Alford writes. “But the Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans media markets could collectively produce as much as 65% of the total votes in the primary election.”
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.
