Skip to comments.

Vitters Running For (Louisiana) Governor In 2015

The Hayride ^ | January 21, 2014 | Scott McKay

Posted on by abb

He said he was going to make his decision this month, and he has.

From the e-mail which is going out to his list this morning

Dear -,

Since you are such a long-time friend, I wanted you to be among the first to know, directly from me. After much thought, prayer, and discussion with Wendy and our children, Ive decided to run for Governor of Louisiana in 2015.

Let me first assure you, this decision will in no way limit the critical work Im doing today in the U.S. Senate. Representing you and your family will continue to be my top priority.

But I believe that as our next Governor, I can have a bigger impact addressing the unique challenges and opportunities we face in Louisiana . . . helping us truly reach our full potential.

Well do this by building excellence in K-12 and higher education, offering every child in Louisiana the skills to compete effectively and achieve his or her dreams. Well do it by making Louisiana more attractive to vibrant businesses, growing the good-paying jobs we need today and tomorrow. Well do it by reforming taxes and spending, spurring economic growth and creating budget stability.

And through it all, well do it by fighting political corruption and demanding government reform and accountability. Thats a battle Ive long waged. The difference is Ill have so many more tools as Governor to do things right and protect taxpayer dollars.

Although an active campaign is still a year away, Ill start preparing for it immediately by doing what Ive always done, including as our U.S. Senator. Thats listening to you, knowing that I sure dont have all the answers.

Ive held over 342 in-person town hall meetings, 128 telephone town halls, and countless other meetings in every parish of our state. Ill continue those travels starting tomorrow, listening directly to Louisiana families about what most concerns them.

And then, after Listening and Learning, I will LEAD. Because Im running to take on the important issues and make the hard decisions, not to avoid them or play politics with them.

This will be my last political job, elected or appointed, period. So my only agenda will be to do whats best for all Louisianians, from our best and brightest to our most vulnerable.

Wendy and I value your friendship, support, and prayers so much. Please continue to bless us with those gifts.

There isnt much point in doing a lot of analysis behind this, as weve already done it here, here and here.

Vitters entry into the race, with Jay Dardenne already in, probably precludes anybody else  like John Kennedy or Scott Angelle, for example  from running for governor in 2015.

At this point the real question is whether the Democrats will stand pat with John Bel Edwards as their candidate or whether someone will induce Mitch Landrieu to jump in. Landrieu is the only Democrat in the state with the slightest chance of getting past Vitter or Dardenne and making the runoff.



TOPICS:

Front Page News

Government

News/Current Events

Politics/Elections

US: Louisiana

KEYWORDS:

davidvitter

gopprimary

governor

la2014

la2015

landrieu

louisiana

mitchlandrieu

vitter

vitter2015

Good news.



To: abb

who takes his spot in senate? Jindall??



To: Principled

If he wins, he makes an appointment for the balance of his senate term, which expires in 2016. Don’t know who is on his radar for the job.



To: abb

Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne already announced a gubernatorial bid (and state senator Elbert Guillorythe black conservative who switched from Republican to Democrat to get elected to the state senate from a black-majority district and very publicly switched back to the GOP last yearalready announced for Lt. Gov.). I dont think that Vitter will clear the field, and given LAs jungle primary system that could result in two Republicans going on to the general, Dardenne may think that he can beat Vitter in a one-on-one general election. If Vitter wins, hell appoint his replacement in the Senate until the November 2016 election (unless he calls an earlier special election). Jindal?



by 4 posted onby AuH2ORepublican (If a politician won't protect innocent babies, what ma kes you think that he'll defend your rights?)

To: abb

Then let’s put Bobby J in the Senate. Or the White House.



To: abb

U.S. Senator David Vitter joins Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne (R), State Rep. John Bel Edwards (D), and Public Service Commissioner Chair Foster Campbell (D) in the Louisiana Gubernatorial Election in 2015. Jay Dardenne was a State Senator from Baton Rouge for 14 years before becoming Louisiana's Secretary of State in 2006 and the Lt. Governor in 2010. He is a Republican, but more of a moderate than a conservative. The office of Lt. Governor has been used by politicians as a springboard for other political offices recently (Kathleen Blanco became the Governor in 2001, Mitch Landrieu became the Mayor of New Orleans in 2010, and Scott Angelle was elected to the Louisiana Public Service Commission in 2012 after switching to the GOP in 2010). Since he is the current Lt. Governor, Dardenne is seen by some as the “heir apparent” to the Governor's Mansion in 2015. However, he would trail David Vitter in the race according to the most recent polling data. Foster Campbell (D) is the Chair of the Louisiana Public Service Commission. He was a State Senator from northwest Louisiana for 26 years before he was elected to the PSC in 2003. He ran for Governor in 2007 against Bobby Jindal and two other candidates. Campbell won two rural parishes in northwest Louisiana (his power base), but only polled 12% statewide in the election. A former member of the State House of Representatives described Campbell as “always having some populist, usually anti-business legislation moving through the process.” Based on my interactions with local utility companies in my area who have had dealings with Campbell at the PSC, this sounds right. John Bel Edwards (D) is a State Representative in south Louisiana and the leader of the House Democrats. I don't know much about Rep. Edwards’ actual positions except that he believes Louisiana needs “a healthy dose of common sense and compassion for ordinary people.” The latest polling data has him trailing Vitter, Dardenne, and State Treaurer John Kennedy in a jungle primary election. I think the only other candidate that could make a big impact in the race right now is State Treasurer John Kennedy (R). He has been the State Treasurer since 2000, and he left the Democratic Party to join the GOP in 2007. He has clashed with Bobby Jindal regarding the finances of the state (Jindal’s use of “one-time” money to pay for recurring expenses, the lack of priorities in the state budget, etc). Kennedy ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and finished third (15%) behind David Vitter (51%) and Chris John (29%). He ran against Mary Landrieu in 2008 for her U.S. Senate seat and lost 52% to 45%. There are other people who might be potential candidates like former US house rep. Rodney Alexander (R), PSC Member (and former Lt. Governor) Scott Angelle (R), Russel Honore from Hurricane Katrina fame, State Senator Gerald Long (R), and former Governor Buddy Roemer (R). However, these candidates would be afterthoughts in the race. Plus, Vitter’s entry into the race will dry up a lot of support and money from the second-tier candidates.



To: Principled

who takes his spot in senate?

****************************************

I hope it’s someone who has the guts, intelligence, integrity and belief in the American Constitutional Republic that Ted Cruz has.



To: abb

Liberal: “He cheated on his wife. Therefore he can’t be trusted.” Anyone with a brain: “Wendy Davis made up her entire life story and so did Obama.” Liberal: “Not the same thing.”



by 8 posted onby VerySadAmerican (".....Barrack, and the horse Mohammed rode in on.")

To: VerySadAmerican

Wendy Davis cheated on her husband AND he got custody of the kids (including one of hers from a prior marriage).



To: VerySadAmerican

David Vitter did not cheat on his wife.



To: Oliviaforever

Uh, the prostitues he frequented may beg to differ.



To: AnAmericanInEngland

“Uh, the prostitues he frequented may beg to differ.” You are spreading half truths about Sen. Vitter. The whole truth is as Sen. Vitter stated, and that is that while he may have visited a prostitute, he did so only to talk and nothing else like you have implied. Sen. Vitter is a very ethical and moral family man with a stressful job and needed someone to talk to. Moreover, he was likely talking to these prostitutes not just about his problems, but trying to guide these women to a more moral life.



To: Oliviaforever

Doing this in a motel room or other sequestered location does not give him much credibility. He wants to counsel them meet them in a park or church.



To: Resolute Conservative

He is a United States senator. She cannot just walk into a church or walk into a park to have a talk with someone as he would be recognized. He cannot even go to a psychiatrist to have a talk as the liberal media would be all over that. So yes, he must seek refuge in the privacy of a hotel to talk about personal issues.



To: Resolute Conservative

He is a United States senator. She cannot just walk into a church or walk into a park to have a talk with someone as he would be recognized. He cannot even go to a psychiatrist to have a talk as the liberal media would be all over that. So yes, he must seek refuge in the privacy of a hotel to talk about personal issues.



To: Oliviaforever

LOL. I missed this version of the story. Is this seriously something Vitter is saying?



To: Oliviaforever

What the heck are you talking about? This is what Senator Vitter said after his phone number was found in a DC madam’s address book: “”This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible,” Vitter said Monday in a printed statement. “Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there  with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way.” The Republican senator’s spokesman, Joel Digrado, confirmed the statement Monday evening in an e-mail to The Associated Press.” http://www.cbsnews.com/news/senator-caught-in-dc-madam-scandal/ Why would Senator Vitter describe having a chat with a prostitute as “a very serious sin”? I think that it would be fine if you said that Vitter is a “very ethical and moral family man” who, like all of us, is a sinner, and that he slipped up and committed a particularly heinous sin, but has already asked for and received forgiveness from God and his wife, so there’s no reason to distrust him. But to deny that which Vitter himself has admitted to doing?



by 17 posted onby AuH2ORepublican (If a politician won't protect innocent babies, what ma kes you think that he'll defend your rights?)

To: AuH2ORepublican

“As far as the girls coming out after seeing David, all they had was nice things to say. It wasn’t all about sex. In fact, he just wanted to have somebody listen to him, you know. And I said his wife must not be listening,” Maier said in an interview with The Associated Press. http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/07/11/new-orleans-madam-says-sen-david-vitter-used-her-brothel/ Even the woman who ran that business said that he just needed someone to talk to.



To: AuH2ORepublican

A Vitter statement. ‘’I think you know that that allegation is absolutely and completely untrue...I have said that on numerous occasions ... I’ll say that in any forum,’’ Vitter said during the broadcast on WSMB radio. ‘’Unfortunately, that’s just crass Louisiana politics, now that I am running for the Senate. I have made that clear that it is all completely untrue...And, it’s obviously politically motivated.’’ http://blog.nola.com/updates/2007/07/former_prostitute_confirms_vit.html He has put the matter to rest and the attacks against him are untrue and politically motivated.



To: Oliviaforever

“Moreover, he was likely talking to these prostitutes not just about his problems, but trying to guide these women to a more moral life.” Bwahahaha!!! Nice try but no cigar. The jury that freed OJ wouldn’t buy this one. :-)



by 20 posted onby Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

FreeRepublic , LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794

FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson