Jindal wades deeper into legislative races

Gov. Bobby Jindal injected his brand into another House election Monday by endorsing one Republican candidate over another. So far, it is the third such GOP contest Jindal has chosen to heat up. The most recent nod goes to Lenar Whitney in Houma’s House District 53. She even got her own press release, in which Jindal dubs her a “lifelong conservative.” Jindal’s decision may not have been a snap, though. Whitney is facing a well-known Terrebonne Parish family name in Theresa Ellender, whom Jindal personally appointed to the state Board of Electrolysis Examiners. Also running is fellow Republican Billy J. Hebert, who recently switched from the Democratic Party. In House District 38, Jindal is backing Julie Harrington over fellow GOP contender Peter Vidrine. Both are looking to topple incumbent Rep. Bernard LeBas, D-Ville Platte. In House District 56, Greg Miller, rather than fellow Republican Emile Garlepied, has Jindal’s blessing. As for cash money, none of Jindal’s recent campaign finance reports shows donations going to Harrington or Miller. That’s because Jindal is raising money for these races and others through something he calls the “Victory Fund.” Technically, it isn’t a standalone political action committee. Instead, it’s an internally designated party fund and, as a result, will not have its own reports on file with the state Ethics Administration. “The funds raised for the Victory Fund and spent by the Victory Fund will be reported on the Republican Party of Louisiana’s reports,” says Jason P. Doré, the group’s executive director. “However, they are not separately designated as such.” That means donations and expenditures for Jindal’s Victory Fund won’t be separated and itemized in its own public report. Moreover, the cash backing might come later than sooner. As of Monday, there were no direct expenditures reported by the party that were related to the GOP-on-GOP elections that Jindal is working on his own. —Jeremy Alford