If Kevin Davis is out, who’s in?

St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis’ decision to drop efforts at extending his tenure to a fourth term leaves a burning question: If Davis is out, who’s in? Once heir-apparent, Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price is rumored to be considering a run, but being under investigation for mismanaging city funds is likely to hamper any serious effort. Pat Brister is a former two-term Parish Council member, former chair of the state GOP, and a United Nations ambassador, and so far, she’s the only one who will say with certainty that she’s running. In the state’s most Republican parish, Brister starts as the odds-on favorite, with high name recognition and a conservative pedigree few can match. But she’s no shoo-in. Other likely (and rumored) candidates include longtime Parish Councilman Steve Stefancik of Slidell, who led the most recent effort to extend Davis’ terms and who confirms he’s considering a run; Slidell Mayor Ben Morris, who recently lost a bid for Congress and who is termed-out in 2010; Covington Councilman At-Large Matt Faust, who is also president of Statewide Bank; and Mandeville insurance agent Kelly Dabdoub, who parlayed the name recognition gained in a losing 2007 Parish Council race into an at-large seat on the Republican Parish Executive Committee just four months later. With 33 months until the election, there’s time – but not much. Laying early groundwork for the race is essential to lock in donors and ensure name recognition parish-wide, and it’s the same strategy Davis used 10 years ago to secure the seat without competition. In all likelihood, though, his successor won’t have as easy a time. The list of serious contenders is likely to be long … and so is the campaign. – James Hartman