Free Republic

<p>BATON ROUGE - Seven out of 10 Louisiana voters are undecided about their preferred candidate for governor, a new poll shows.</p> <p>But given a list of candidates from which to choose, the number of undecided voters drops to 4 out of 10, according to the poll of 600 taken July 17-21 by Southern Media and Opinion Research of Baton Rouge for release to the news media.</p>

La. AFL-CIO endorses Ieyoub, Landrieu, Foti John Hill Posted on July 22, 2003 BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana AFL-CIO endorses Attorney General Richard Ieyoub's bid this fall to succeed Gov. Mike Foster. Union officials announced the endorsement Monday following a closed convention Saturday during which some 200 leaders from throughout the state heard sales pitches from Ieyoub, a former Lake Charles district attorney, Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco of Lafayette, former Senate President Randy Ewing of Quitman and former state Rep. Claude "Buddy" Leach of Lake Charles. State AFL-CIO President Red Bourg said those four candidates for governor in the Oct....

<p>BATON ROUGE - The starting gun of the fall gubernatorial election does not go off until official qualifying Aug. 19-21, but the top candidates are lining up - and lining their campaign treasuries with the cash needed to make the race.</p>

<p>BATON ROUGE - As the Louisiana Legislature prepares to wrap up its session June 23, the top two contenders in the state's wide-open gubernatorial race are as they have been: Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco of Lafayette and Attorney General Richard Ieyoub of Lake Charles.</p>

BATON ROUGE - Two Republicans and a Democrat are dropping out of the Louisiana gubernatorial race today in a major seismic development that shook the political landscape Wednesday. Former Gov. Dave Treen and state Sen. Ken Hollis of Metairie will endorse state Rep. Hunt Downer of Houma, who is emerging as the consensus Republican candidate. "It will all shake out and shape up within the month," Downer said. "I'm excited." Democratic state Treasurer John Kennedy, who has canceled fund-raisers, will issue a public statement this morning that he is dropping out, a development that probably most benefits former Senate President...

BATON ROUGE - Two Republicans and a Democrat are dropping out of the Louisiana gubernatorial race today in a major seismic development that shook the political landscape Wednesday. Former Gov. Dave Treen and state Sen. Ken Hollis of Metairie will endorse state Rep. Hunt Downer of Houma, who is emerging as the consensus Republican candidate. "It will all shake out and shape up within the month," Downer said. "I'm excited." Democratic state Treasurer John Kennedy, who has canceled fund-raisers, will issue a public statement this morning that he is dropping out, a development that probably most benefits former Senate President...

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

<p>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.</p> <p>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.</p>

<p>BATON ROUGE - Six intended candidates for governor in this fall's election say they view education, particularly early childhood programs, as a major key to improving the state's future.</p> <p>But they have differing opinions about vouchers, which would allow students currently enrolled in public schools to switch to private schools at public expense.</p>

<p>Louisiana's higher education system must improve, five of the 12 candidates vying for the governor's mansion said Friday at a forum held at Harrah's convention center.</p> <p>State Rep. Hunt Downer, R-Houma, former state Senate President Randy Ewing, D-Quitman, Attorney General Richard Ieyoub, D-Lake Charles, former state Rep. Claude "Buddy" Leach, D-Lake Charles, and former Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle, R-Baton Rouge,were the five candidates participating in a panel discussion in Shreveport as part of the 65th Conference of Louisiana Colleges and Universities.</p>

<p>MONROE - Education will be a top priority of the next governor, according to six candidates vying for the position this year.</p> <p>The gubernatorial candidates attended a forum held Friday by the Louisiana School Boards Association, which is holding its annual convention at the Monroe Civic Center. The candidates who participated in the Friday forum included Lt. Gov. Kathleen Blanco, former state Senate President Randy Ewing, state Attorney General Richard Ieyoub, former congressman Buddy Leach, former Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle and state Treasurer John Kennedy.</p>

<p>Crowded governor's race could limit funds More Republican than Democratic candidates enter fray John Hill / Louisiana Gannett News Posted on March 2, 2003 BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana governor's race is up to a dozen serious candidates with Republicans outnumbering Democrats seven to five.</p>

Former state senator is seeking governor's chair By Josh Beavers Political parties aren't that important to Randy Ewing. In fact, his voting record during the 12 years he served in the Louisiana Senate found the Jackson Parish Democrat siding more often than not with his Republican colleagues. "I want us to get beyond the dividing line of Republican and Democrat," he told a group of about 40 Webster Parish residents on Tuesday. "The constant battles in Washington have hurt us. I don't want that to happen in our state." "I'm not a party person," he continued. "I'm a Louisianian." And...