In the three remaining BESE runoffs, candidates endorsed by the Alliance for Better Classrooms and the GOP Victory Fund, which support Gov. Bobby Jindal’s agenda, led in their primaries and have outspent opponents backed by the Coalition for Public Education. The must-win for the Jindal/ABC team is District 6 incumbent Chas Roemer, a Republican who is an outspoken critic of public education practices, against retired Ascension Parish Superintendent Donald Songy, a Democrat. Roemer recently declined to debate Songy at a Baton Rouge Press Club meeting, but the two have debated several times at public appearances throughout the campaign. Moreover, Roemer says he was not told the Press Club event was intended to be a debate until after declining the invitation, due to scheduling issues. That may be due to conflicting attitudes about state-sponsored reforms in Livingston and Ascension parishes, whose citizens seem satisfied with performance of community schools. Most surprising is that two of three districts in play are minority seats that were earlier thought to be safe for the public education coalition. Yet in the 2nd and 8th districts, ABC, the PAC started by contractor Lane Grigsby, is sending out mail pieces for Kira Orange Jones and Carolyn Hill, thus out-spending incumbent Louella Givens and Jim Guillory, respectively.
—Once the runoffs are decided, Republicans aim to control 59 to 62 of 105 districts in the new House. With no partisan contests left in the Senate, the upper chamber will have 24 Republicans and 15 Democrats. Counting races decided or those with two Republicans in runoffs, the GOP has secured 54 House seats. Their candidates face Democrats in seven runoffs and an independent in one. Black Democrats face white independents in two minority districts. Republicans claim a clear advantage in five partisan runoffs, while three contests are close to even. The Democrats’ best hope to win back a GOP seat rests with Kenny Cox of Mansfield, a retired military officer who is black. Mansfield is trying to unseat Republican Rick Nowlin of Natchitoches in a redrawn minority district.
They said it:
“If lies determine a race, I’m a beat duck.” —Rep. Billy Chandler on what his opponent Terry Brown is saying about him, in The (Alexandria) Town Talk
“I never realized what a terrible guy I was until I ran for office.” —Terry Brown on GOP attack ads
Editors note: This story has been changed since its original publication.
(John Maginnis publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com.)
