You may have had a bit of fun last week back at home at your local Mardi Gras shindigs, but you probably didn’t have full-bars-in-the-elevators fun.
“They’re called party-vators,” said a laughing Laura MacDiarmid Ferrell, who manages government and public affairs for Cheniere Energy, which held its annual Carnival-themed get-together at the Newseum last week.
For many who braved the cold and lost sleep, the fancy bash was the unofficial kickoff for Washington Mardi Gras. Gov. John Bel Edwards was in attendance, and he made mention to more than one set of ears that he was waiting on a phone call from Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the National Football League. Knowing the Saints-related angst in the room, Cheniere CEO Jack Fusco made a rare public stance during his address to revelers.
“You guys were robbed,” he said to hoots and rounds of “Who Dat!”
Congressman Ralph Abraham and Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone were seen working the crowd at the Newseum party as well, both angling for Edwards’ job. But the First Amendment-themed museum was full with candidates of all stripes.
“I think I met 193 candidates running for local and state offices,” said a longtime lobbyist. “I made sure I wasn’t carrying any business cards with me.”
Organizers with the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians estimated a turnout of 3,000 for last Thursday night’s marquee event, Louisiana ALIVE. The subsequent Friday Festival and Mardi Gras Ball were expected to draw crowds of 2,300 and 2,600, respectively.
Washington Mardi Gras is a yearly tradition that stretches back more than six decades. It’s essentially a series of parties and mini-conferences, both formal and informal, hosted by Louisiana’s congressional delegation; public entities like municipalities and universities; private companies; and a nonprofit organization called the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians.
The influx from the Cajun Coast is so powerful that the Washington Hilton, the host site, changes the name of its main bar—once a year—to The 65th Parish.
While seeing the same old personalities is usually unavoidable when traveling from the bayou to the Beltway for this bash, there were a handful of new faces around last week’s festivities, like LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication as well as out-of-state executives and donors.
“I have clients headquartered elsewhere who are asking to come now,” said a consultant who’s a regular at The 65th Parish. “They see the value in who attends, and how much business can be accomplished in such a short period of time.”
State Rep. John Stefanski, of Crowley, who made his second appearance at the weeklong extravaganza, echoed those remarks. “Rarely will you ever have the opportunity to socialize and interact with the most powerful people in Louisiana politics all in one place.”
Washington Mardi Gras is always a great spot to pick up rumors. The best that never came to be last week was delivered by a government relations director waiting for his BTR flight to DCA.
“Hey,” he said leaning in close, “I heard the king is going to give away two free cars at the ball.”
At least he was on theme, because New Orleans-area auto dealer Ray Brandt did reign as king this go around, alongside Alexandra Reese Pharr of Lafayette, who served as queen.
“Washington Mardi Gras might be zero percent financed, but we can’t just give it away,” said a smiling Will Green, president of the Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association.
Then there’s the best rumor that everyone wanted to be true, like President Donald Trump attending last Friday morning’s big economic development conference. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin showed up instead to address the group, which likewise heard from Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves, who in turn noted how comical it was that the man charged with steering the Internal Revenue Service was going to speak to a pack of people who were trying to expense a week of partying and politicking.
Like anything else in life, Washington Mardi Gras is what you make it, meaning you can travel north and soak and socialize or you can plan carefully and get a year’s worth of networking done in three or four days. Whichever way you dice it, the 2019 edition of Washington Mardi Gras has come to a close—and just in time. Louisiana’s statewide election cycle is right around the corner and, closer on the calendar, the final regular session of this term convenes in the spring.
The party’s over folks. But the dancing is just beginning.
Jeremy Alford publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, atLaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter, or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
