New Orleans Mayor Endorses Democrat Ewing in LA Gubernatorial Contest

Shreveport, LA, Times ^ | 09-10-03 | Hill, John

[Theodore R.]

BATON ROUGE - New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is backing former state Senate President Randy Ewing for governor, raising the Jackson Parish resident's political profile in the Crescent City.

"It is symbolically significant for a man from North Louisiana to get the endorsement of the mayor of the largest city in South Louisiana," retired Southern University political scientist Frank Ransburg of Zachary said of the endorsement announced Tuesday.

[Theodore R.]

Nagin also endorsed the Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu in 2002.

[Kuksool]

Nagin's endorsement of Ewing could dilute the support of Kathy Blanco and Richard Ieyoub in the primary. Thus making it possible for Jindal to make it in the runoff.

[Theodore R.]

Or Ewing could wind up in the general election -- he could be like John McKeithen was 40 years ago, coming out of nowhere the last three weeks of the campaign.

[Theodore R.]

The newest Verne Kennedy poll now shows Blanco and Jindal in a virtual tie for first place, 20 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

Blossman had only 3 percent, and Downer, 6 percent.

That means that Ieyoub, Leach, and Ewing are somewhere in the 10 percent range, but I did not hear their total. I think the radio report said that Ewing was at 9 percent.

I still don't see Ieyoub is kept out of the general election with his black, union, and sheriffs base.

[Theodore R.]

*ping*

[Theodore R.]

A Republican who is supporting the Democrat Ewing is former State Senator Tommy Cassanova, a popular former football star.

[Theodore R.]

Another Republican for Ewing is State Senator Robert Barham of Oak Ridge, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2002. That seat eventually went to the Democrat Rodney Alexander. I don't know if Alexander is for Ewing, but I would think he could well be in that both Alexander and Ewing are from the tiny hamlet of Quitman.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Interesting that Nagin would endorse someone as Conservative as Ewing, but Nagin is definitely not Marc Morial.