Survey polls legislators on Louisiana gubernatorial race; Ieyoub and Leach viewed the strongest

Shreveport, LA, Times ^ | 04-05-03 | Hill, John

[Theodore R.]

BATON ROUGE - A direct-mail survey of Louisiana legislators by a major lobbying firm indicates they believe state Attorney General Richard Ieyoub and former state Rep. Claude "Buddy" Leach are most likely to make the gubernatorial runoff this fall.

Ieyoub and Leach, both Lake Charles Democrats, each was named by one-third of about 100 legislators who responded when Harris-Deville and Associates Inc., lobbyists for the Louisiana Chemical Association and other clients, asked who they thought would make the runoff. The election will be held Oct. 4 with the runoff Nov. 15.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Jeez, these polls are all over the place. One week it's Ieyoub and Treen, another it's Ieyoub and Blanco, this week it's Ieyoub and Leach ! I think we know Ieyoub is in the runoff, the question is, who gets #2 ? It's GOT to be Bobby Jindal !

[Theodore R.]

I would think that any poll that showed Dave Treen headed to a gubernatorial "general election" in LA would be a mere reflection of "name identity." Leach could spend from his own fortune like Democrat Tony Sanchez in TX, but he is too shrewd of a businessman to fritter away that much. Of course, he is aging, and he knows that this is his last chance at the "glow" of public office.

I talked to my brother Friday night, and he said two Democrats are certain to be in a "general election." He initial thought was Ieyoub, the attorney general, and former State Senator Randy Ewing, himself a wealthy businessman. Ieyoub is the candidate of the NAACP, the ACLU, the sheriffs, the public employees, the party apparatchiks. Ewing has north LA support, while other south LA candidates are dividing their more populous region among themselves. My brother thinks that Jay Blossman, the New Orleans area public service commissioner running on a Reagan platform is getting nowhere though he has been the first to run ads. He said LA people are just too poor to go Republican again.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Yeah, Leach isn't (at 69, just had his birthday last week) exactly a youngster. He'll be in Treen Country come '07.

You never know who might end up in the runoff for the 2nd slot (assuming as we all do that Ieyoub is a rock-solid guarantee). Might end up being someone from clear out of the blue (like Foster in '95). Blossman sounds fine, but as we've been over endlessly, there's just two many GOP chefs stirring the soup. I've often heard the phrase people being "too poor" to vote Republican. Perhaps it's time to remind them which party made them so poor. After all, Republican elected officials in LA is a recent phenomenon (Reconstruction not withstanding), and even when our guys win, they don't, if you know what I mean. If I were in the state legislature, the first bill I'd introduce is a law to ban the dead from voting. *cough*

[kms61]

Ieyoub is ethically challenged, not that that would be a disqualification for office around here. Ewing is a conservative Democrat, former Senate President, and squeaky clean. I doubt most Republicans would have many problems with his stand on issues. His achilles heel is that he's from North Louisiana, and with two thirds of the population residing south of I-10, that's a hindrance, though not insurmountable. True, he's done well in the timber busness, but has nowhere near Leach's money (actually, his wife's money--Leach married into serious wealth).

Jindal is interesting, but as yet we don't know what he stands for. Foster is pushing hard for him, but as yet I don't know if Foster's endorsement helps or hurts. He's disappointed a lot of people in his second term.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Ewing almost sounds like a potential party-switcher. I guess if we had to have a 'Rat in the runoff, I'd rather it be Ewing.

Jindal has taken some stands, coming out as a strong Conservative. He, I believe, is the only one who stridently came out in favor of school choice/vouchers, very much a plus in my book. Treen came out against it and the other Republicans were very wishy-washy on the subject.

[Theodore R.]

Ewing is also close to Senator Breaux. Has Breaux endorsed anyone yet? Whoever Breaux endorses will probably ultimately win, for he usually always picks the winner. While he backed Gore in 2000, he did so on a low-key level because he was not sure the state would have followed his lead on that candidate. As it turned out, with such a close race, Breaux might have been able to elect Gore just as he did Landrieu two years later. People in LA will do nearly anything Breaux asks them to do.