Louisiana’s congressional delegation has a new Million Dollar Man. The title belongs to U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, who just got into politics four and half years ago via the state Legislature. Today on Capitol Hill, the Baton Rouge Republican is playing on an entirely different field, and his money game is spot on. According to the campaign finance report Cassidy filed Friday with the Federal Election Commission, his war chest has exceeded $1 million. That’s a bigger bank than any other delegation member.
The tally is fueling speculation that Cassidy is looking to challenge U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, a New Orleans Democrat who faces re-election in 2014. Landrieu has nearly $600,000 in the bank and another three years to raise more loot. Gov. Bobby Jindal, who has more than $9 million in his state campaign account, which cannot be used for federal races, is likewise often linked to the contest.
Cassidy, meanwhile, faces voters next fall. And he’ll do so in a new district that stretches south into the Terrebonne-Lafourche area. This coastal expansion helped Cassidy push his second-quarter fund-raising total to about $240,000. He has been spending considerable time in the southern region in recent weeks, meeting with elected officials, local media and civic groups.
Many GOP heavyweights live in the region, and Cassidy already knows them well: for example, Boysie Bollinger of Lockport, who contributed $2,400. And then there’s the Chouest family and Chouest Offshore in Cut Off, which collectively accounted for $15,000 in donations to Cassidy. Most of his individual donors still come from the Baton Rouge area, such as the following people who gave $4,800 each: James J. Bailey III, Terri L. Binder, William D. Binder, Ann W. Hise, Bill R. Hise, John B. Noland, Nanette Noland, Virginia Noland, Gerald W. Pellar, Janice H. Pellar, Edward L. Rispone, Mary T. Svendson, Wade Svendson and Miles B. Williams.
Cassidy’s rising star in the national health care debate appeared helpful as well during the second quarter. This was evidenced by the numerous contributions from pharmaceutical, hospital and physician groups, ranging from the American Osteopathic Information Association to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Yet for all the money he’s pulling in, Cassidy’s campaign expenditures remain modest. He spent $48,000 during the second quarter, mostly on travel, accommodations and campaign consulting contracts.
