Scalise Ends Bid for Seat in Congress

The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune ^ | August 19, 2004 | Manuel Torres

[Ebenezer]

[Louisiana] State Rep. Steve Scalise abandoned his bid for the [state's] 1st Congressional District seat Wednesday night, a move analysts said greatly improves front-runner Bobby Jindal's chances of winning the Nov. 2 primary without a runoff.

Alluding to the challenge posed by Jindal's lead in the polls and in fund raising, Scalise said at an Alliance for Good Government forum that he was ending his candidacy.

"As of tomorrow, I will not be a candidate for the 1st Congressional District. . . . I will definitely live to fight another day," Scalise said.

The announcement appeared to stun the audience at the first major political event of the race since qualifying ended Aug. 6 with seven candidates signed up.

[Ebenezer]

Jindal, a former Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals and former President of the University of Louisiana System, is expected to easily win the seat, which is in a heavily Republican district. He ran for Governor of Louisiana last year against then-Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Blanco but lost by 4 percentage points.

[JohnnyZ]

Scalise had considered this HIS district to win when Vitter retired. But then Bobby came in and he really had no chance.