Congressman considering Senate race (against Mary Landrieu, D, Louisiana)

Houma Courier ^ | November 8, 2012 | Jeremy Alford

[abb]

BATON ROUGE — After carrying nearly 80 percent of the vote in an expanded district and with close to $2 million still in the bank, U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy has become slightly more candid about potentially challenging Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu.

“What American who loves their country wouldn't want to run for the U.S. Senate? And we certainly need some help in the Senate,” said Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge.

Cassidy first ran for office in 2006, transforming a state Senate seat into a successful congressional bid in the span of 23 months.

He said the U.S. Senate could possibly be his next stop, should voters continue to support him.

“We're going to go around the state and speak to supporters to see if there's an appetite for the idea,” Cassidy said.

The fact that rumors have persisted for months that he'll challenge Louisiana's senior senator is “proof that there's dissatisfaction with the status quo,” Cassidy said.

What remains to be seen is whether other Republicans, like Gov. Bobby Jindal or another congressman, might want the Senate job as well.

In that regard, it's notable that Timmy Teepell, Jindal's chief political advisor, managed Cassidy's campaign this year, despite only token opposition on the ballot.

After being sworn in during a January ceremony, Cassidy will begin his third term representing the 6th Congressional District.

Because of last year's redistricting process, the 6th includes northern Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes.

The local district also encompasses all of Livingston and Pointe Coupee parishes and portions of Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. John the Baptist and West Baton Rouge parishes.

Landrieu, who served as a state legislator and treasurer before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, is up for re-election in 2014.

Earlier this year following an address to the Baton Rouge Press Club, Landrieu said she would “definitely” seek another term, adding that her polling numbers were “moving in the right direction.”

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, represents southern Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes in the 1st Congressional District, and he also has goals related to a position for the next term.

Scalise said he is seeking the chairmanship of the Republican Study Committee, which is equal parts Republican think tank and conservative brain trust.

For example, the study committee usually presents its own version of the federal budget each year.

“It's currently the largest caucus in Congress with over 160 members,” Scalise said.

This term, Scalise has been serving as vice chairman of recruitment for the National Republican Congressional Committee, traveling across the country to find GOP candidates to either take down Democrats or replace outgoing Republicans.

The 1st Congressional District also includes the parishes of Plaquemines, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany, as well as portions of Jefferson, Orleans and Tangipahoa parishes.

Jeremy Alford can be reached jeremy@jeremyalford.com.

[Synthesist]

But, I don’t think BerniesFriend wants us to just give up. BerniesFriend has a very good point about incumbents being mindlessly reelected here in Louisiana. Sen. Mary L. should have easily lost in the 2008 election when McCain voters here routed Obama with a 60 to 40 percent vote, but way too many of those McCain voters then split their ticket by voting for her instead of Kennedy. Granted, Kennedy was a recent party switcher and therefore a weak RINO candidate, but it still happened…

There really is no place here in our Deep Red conservative state of Louisiana for a F’ing Dem party senator, even if she is an incumbent with lots of name recognition! We have to work harder to bust this stupid incumbent bias.

[Galactic Overlord-In-Chief]

Cassidy actually does have the distinction of beating an incumbent. In 2008, he beat Don Cazayoux, who won the old LA-06 in a special election over Woody Jenkins.

Landrieu absolutely is vulnerable. Incumbency is valuable, sure. I have to admit that she *could* win another term. However, she has yet to top 52 percent in any of her Senate bids. In 2008, she went up against Dem-turned-GOPer John Kennedy (no relation to JFK). Kennedy wasn’t fully trusted by the GOP base, while Landrieu received some good will following the Katrina aftermath (she won the conservative coastal parishes in the N.O. area this time), and she still only got 52 percent, the same percentage as in 2002 when she faced off against Suzanne Haik Terrell in an ultra-competitive race. It wasn’t that she did better, it was that Kennedy did worse (he got 46 percent as opposed to Terrell’s 48 percent).

A more competent and trusted Republican with the party united behind him (party disunity hurt Terrell) should be able to beat Landrieu. But I’m under no illusions that this will be easy.

[TNCMAXQ]

I hope you are right. You think Jindal might run for the Senate too? That would be interesting.

I forgot to mention NC in my previous post. Kay Hagan ought to be vulnerable, especially since the GOP did pretty well there this year. Sounds like she is way too liberal for that state.

I would have hoped Jean Shaheen in NH would be beaten but after the Demo tide up there this week it looks like they are moving to the far left. They might as well change the state motto. Only 2 years ago the Republicans swept the state (except in the governor’s race) but this year they lurched way back in the opposite direction. I just hope Sen Kelly Ayotte can win again in ‘16, unless she runs for president!

[BerniesFriend]

Thanks Synthesist..I would love for landrieu to be voted out of office..but having seen her been re-elected with the help of an ignorant gop minority, albeit stupid, coalition, I have little faith she will be voted out..

[abb]

You think Jindal might run for the Senate too? That would be interesting.

Not likely, since Timmy Teepell (Jindal's former chief of staff) is working for Cassidy now. One thing to remember is that Teepell has good connections with the with evangelical (Pentecostals, etc) groups here in Louisiana.

[MitchellC]

the GOP WILL take the Senate in 2014.

Seriously? Are we going to go into 2014 like we did 2012, assuring ourselves that victory is certain like it's the law of nature?

Come on. Unless we start busting our asses now, the majority will be perfectly content to remain stuck on stupid.

[MitchellC]

I’ve assumed that Jindal would be running for this. I recall some scuttlebutt on Twitter that the Lt. Gov’s race was so important, precisely because Jindal wasn’t expected to complete the term, hint hint. And this was from folks working in the Lt. Gov. campaign.

[MitchellC]

I expect, however, there will be enormous pressure on all Senate Dem incumbents to stay put in 2014

That would go against the Dem strategy of the past two elections, wouldn't it? The Dems know it's often easier to win with a blank slate that can promise anything than it is to defend an incumbent who has ruined his reputation by actually voting like a Democrat.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Ultimately, had the incumbents run, it may not have turned out any different.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I don’t know, for some reason, I’d be surprised if he did. If anything, he may run for President in 2016, and the Senate race would be a distraction, since he’d have to start campaigning for President almost immediately upon taking office (and the Dems could use it against him that he wouldn’t be a “full-time” Senator). Even Zero couldn’t have jumped from one to the other that fast.

[MitchellC]

Hate to say it, but he just looks too dorky to run for President. I think he’s the best bet to knock off Landrieu anyway.

Whatever it is he does, I would be willing to bet on one thing for certain: the Dems will get Kal Penn to do an impersonation of him, probably an OFA web ad like the one they did with the dykey slut. And, it’ll be vicious as hell, even allude (if not state outright) that Jindal is a sell-out.