Louisiana’s insurance commissioner’s race may be the most contested statewide campaign outside of the governor’s race after Republican Tim Temple invested $1 million of his own money to challenge four-term incumbent Republican Jim Donelon.
As The Daily Advertiser reports, scandal-free Republican statewide incumbents are generally considered bullet-proof in Louisiana, but as one GOP campaign consultant said during qualifying, “You have to take anybody who’s willing to spend $1 million on a down ballot race seriously.”
Donelon, of Metairie, has been untouchable since first winning the seat in 2006 for an unexpired term, but acknowledged he’ll be in for a scrap this time.
“Yes, I’ve had relatively low-key races since the first one,” Donelon said. “It’ll be very different this time.”
And Temple has shown he’s willing to go on the attack, saying Donelon has been “asleep at the wheel” as Louisiana’s consumers grapple with expensive insurance rates.
“For too long Louisiana families have endured some of the most expensive insurance ratings the country,” said Temple, who touts his 20-year career in the insurance industry. “Louisiana is facing a true insurance crisis and the current commissioner is asleep at the wheel.”
Read the full story about the race, and see a run down of local and statewide political races coming up this fall here.
