While Republican Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne stole the news cycle by crossing party lines with his Thursday endorsement of Democratic state Rep. John Bel Edwards for governor, business groups continue to gravitate toward Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter.
A press conference is expected Monday in which Vitter will open his Baton Rouge campaign headquarters and announce the latest endorsements from business groups.
The Louisiana Home Builders Association, which represents 5,300 companies, is putting its forces behind Vitter’s bid. Also, the ABC Merit PAC and ABC Pelican PAC announced Thursday they will support his campaign, too. The two political action committees represent builders and contractors in south Louisiana.
Vitter has already received the backing of the Louisiana chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business and the Louisiana Oil and Gas Political Action Committee. Still pending is support from the PACs overseen by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. LABI started polling its PAC members recently to see if they wanted to wade into the race.
—Jeremy Alford
