BRBR: Sixth District update: The field gets bigger
WindsorFox-{SS}-
Two more candidates jumped in the race for the Baton Rouge area
Congressional seat Tuesday. Laurinda L. Calongne, president of Robert
Rose Consulting, will be running as a Republican in the race to replace
retiring U.S. Rep. Richard Baker. She made it official this morning.
Another Republican, Paul Sawyer, Baker's former chief of staff, says he
is running for the seat and will qualify next week. They join the two
previously announced candidates: former state Rep. Woody Jenkins, a
Republican, and state Rep. Don Cazayoux of New Roads, a Democrat.
Local attorney Jason DeCuir, a Democrat, also says he is “very serious”
about a possible run. Having just dropped more than $400,000 in the
congressional district on an unsuccessful bid for the state Senate,
DeCuir says he is confident about name recognition. So confident that he
has retained Florida pollster and political consultant Jim Kitchens to
“run some numbers.” DeCuir says he will soon head off to Washington D.C.
for the city’s annual Mardi Gras ball and a meeting with the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee. State Rep. Michael Jackson, a fellow
Democrat, says he is heading to the Beltway this week for the same reasons.
Speaking of name recognition, newly elected BESE member Chas Roemer, son
of former Gov. Buddy Roemer, is weighing his options as well, based on
published reports. A message left for the younger Roemer this morning
was not returned by publication time. Baton Rouge Metro Councilman Mike
Walker, however, did issue a comment today through a spokesperson
stating the Republican has decided against running for Congress and will
instead seek a third term in his current position. On the Democratic
side, those still mulling the possibilities include Livingston Parish
President Mike Grimmer and former Louisiana Recovery Authority Director
Andy Kopplin. The Republican fence-sitters, at least thus far, include
Baton Rouge Metro Councilman David Boneno and Livingston Parish Assessor
Jeff Taylor.
Time is also running out to make a decision. Qualifying for the seat
opens Jan. 29, followed by party primaries and a May 3 general election,
according to Jacques Berry, spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s
Office. Whoever wins, though, will have to defend the seat once more
later this fall during the regularly scheduled election cycle. --Jeremy
Alford
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