Republican Ken Hollis of Metairie Gains Ground in Louisiana Gubernatorial Poll

Monroe (LA) News-Star ^ | 05-18-03 | Evans, Robbie

[Theodore R.]

A poll by the Republican polling firm Basswood Research shows state Sen. Ken Hollis gained momentum in southeastern Louisiana last week.

The poll, conducted in the New Orleans metropolitan area media market, indicated Hollis leads 11 other gubernatorial candidates with 27 percent of the vote. Hollis, R-Metairie, said the second-closest candidate in the poll was at 16 percent.

[JohnnyZ]

Hollis has a truckload of money, too. Well, compared to the other Republicans. $850k I think.

[Theodore R.]

Seriously, Johnny Z, how can any Republican get elected in LA -- the state is 66 percent registered Democrat, and 7 Republicans are dividing up a hard-core base of just 34 percent of the voters if they all turned out at the polls on primary day, which they surely won't.

[JohnnyZ]

Well, it happens somehow. A LOT of the registered Democrats vote Republican (Bush of course won the state, and the governor is Republican, and Woody Jenkins and Suzie Terrell both damn near won), and the runoff system makes things unpredictable. People WILL turn out on primary day (Oct 4th this year), because it's technically general election day. Kind of. There has been a lot of pressure to get some of the 7 Republicans out of the race, and some almost certainly will either by midsummer or at least by the filing date of August 21st. I'm betting two of Treen-Downer-Hainkel call it quits, and then it'll be interesting who they endorse.