BRBR: Greene out of House race
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that he would not be seeking office in Baton Rouge’s 6th Congressional
District, which Rep. Richard Baker will soon vacate for a cushy lobbying
gig. Greene primarily cited family, considering the time it takes to run
for federal office, but he also noted his new role in Gov. Bobby
Jindal’s leadership team. “We have a great group of new public servants
in the House, and I have made many new friends and look forward to
serving with them,” says Greene, chairman of the influential Ways and
Means Committee. “I have made this decision after much deliberation.”
Also out of contention is Jim Nickel, lobbyist extraordinaire and former
director of the Louisiana Democratic Party.
On the GOP side, former state Rep. Woody Jenkins has made his intentions
crystal clear and is expected to capture the Republican primary, barring
any surprises. He already has his first campaign event on the books—a
9:30 a.m. speech to the East Baton Rouge Parish Republican Women
organization Thursday morning.
Paul Sawyer, Baker's former chief of staff, says he's seriously looking
at running for Congress and he's close to making a decision.
On the Democratic side, state Rep. Don Cazayoux of New Roads is still
hitting the streets and has launched a campaign Web site that is still
in progress but offers links to a variety of social networking sites and
sports (aptly so) Mardi Gras colors on the main page.
While Cazayoux has certainly been poking around the race longer than any
other Democrat, he isn’t alone. Fellow House member and local attorney
Michael Jackson is still weighing his options and could become a factor
in the contest, as could Livingston Parish President Mike Grimmer.
Others interested in the race who have yet to make an official
announcement include Baton Rouge Metro Councilman David Boneno, former
Louisiana Recovery Authority Director Andy Kopplin and Livingston Parish
Assessor Jeff Taylor. Boneno and Taylor are Republicans, Kopplin is a
Democrat. --Jeremy Alford
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