GOP fears it has too many choices

The Advocate ^ | 4/17/03 | Chris Frink

[LdSentinal]

How many is too many?

Ask almost any Republican, active or interested in the governor's race, and the answer is seven.

With seven Republicans jockeying for position in a field crowded with 12 candidates, many in the GOP fear that could lead to an all-Democrat runoff in November.

"I hear it everywhere we go," candidate and state Rep. Hunt Downer said. The field should start shrinking in the next four to six weeks, he said.

"There's only so much to go around," Downer said. "The weaker candidates are getting the squeeze."

That Republican piece of political pie is smaller than the Democrats' -- registered Democrats in Louisiana outnumber registered Republicans by more than 2-1 -- but more candidates are vying for it.

"If they all stay, we could have a runoff between Buddy Leach and Kathleen Blanco. I don't relish that choice," said Diane Christopher of New Roads, a member of the party's state central committee.

"If everybody stays, we're in deep doo," she said.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Christopher said. "I hope some will see the light and drop."

The Republicans running: Public Service Commissioner Jay Blossman, Downer, Senate President John Hainkel, Sen. Ken Hollis, former state and federal health-care official Bobby Jindal, ex-Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle and former Gov. Dave Treen.

The primary election is Oct. 4. Under Louisiana's open-primary system, the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, earn spots a Nov. 15 runoff.

"I'm not overly concerned about two Democrats in the runoff," state Republican chairman Pat Brister said. "The field will narrow of its own accord."

"The field will thin as people begin paying attention to the race," said Bill Axelrod, a vice president of the Greater New Orleans Republicans.

The club will hold a forum tonight in New Orleans aimed at "getting people to think about the race, so we don't have two Democrats in the runoff," He said. "I know very little about these candidates."

The forum for Republican candidates only will begin at 7 p.m. at the Columns Hotel, 3811 St. Charles Ave. The club invited all seven Republicans, he said.

The forum will help New Orleans-area Republicans get to know the Republican candidates and what each stands for, and that may coalesce support behind a few of those candidates, Axelrod said.

Hollis is one of two Republican candidates who's running or recently ran a television commercial.

"There are too many Republicans in the race. We want to get out our story and get it out early," Hollis said.

That story? "Ken Hollis is different," he said, a self-made and successful businessman with years of government experience .

According Hollis, it's paying off. People say he's "really serious" about the race and is a "credible candidate."

"I think I stand out from the rest of the pack," said Blossman, the other candidate to run TV spots.

"We're running early. We want to show people we're in this race to stay, that we have the ability to raise money," he said.

The field may not start narrowing until late June or early July, Blossman said. "They may wait until the next campaign finance reports come out."

Those reports will show who can and who cannot raise enough money to stay in the race, he said.

Candidates will start dropping as they see they're not able to raise money or not able to move their poll numbers up, Brister, the GOP chairman, said.

"They all know they have to get to a certain point," she said.

Those who can't meet those self-imposed goals popularity and financial goals will drop. "They certainly don't want to run a race they can't win," Brister said.

What about an effort by the party to endorse a candidate or narrow the field before the October primary?

"I don't see that happening," she said. "It hasn't worked well in the past."

In 1995, the Republican Party anointed Quentin Dastugue, a state representative from Metairie, as its choice for governor.

He dropped out before the primary election.

Voters did elect Mike Foster that year, a Democrat who switched parties just before the race.

"I'm not putting any pressure on anybody," Brister said. "I think that pressure will come further down the road."

"I think there are a lot of operatives who are going to make an effort to narrow the field down," said Gov. Mike Foster, a Republican who cannot seek a third straight term.

Low poll numbers and seeing contributions drying up could chase off some candidates, he said.

Foster's convinced his candidate -- Jindal -- will stay through to the primary.

"He does stand out because he's different. All the rest are politicians," the governor said.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"Much to do about nothing."

Hardly, this is very serious. The GOP is going to have to pair down its candidates or we will have no one in the runoff. Having to choose between two liberal 'Rats for Governor is no choice at all.