Free Republic

<p>BATON ROUGE - Republican Bobby Jindal, R-Baton Rouge, increases his lead, and there's a statistical tie for second place between Democrats Kathleen Blanco of Lafayette and Richard Ieyoub of Lake Charles in the Louisiana gubernatorial race, according to The Times/Louisiana Gannett poll.</p>

<p>BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's gubernatorial candidates are stepping up their messages, positive and negative, trying to sway voters their way during this single most important week of the campaign.</p> <p>Recent polls, consistently led by Republican Bobby Jindal and Democrat Kathleen Blanco, still show a fair number of undecided voters with mere days before Saturday's election.</p>

<p>Jefferson endorses Leach Congressman's support is a blow to Ewing campaign. John Hill Posted on September 23, 2003 BATON ROUGE - U. S. Rep. Bill Jefferson of New Orleans on Monday endorsed Democrat Claude "Buddy" Leach in the gubernatorial race, a blow to former state Sen. Randy Ewing, who had sought the endorsement.</p>

<p>BATON ROUGE -- Voters do not appear to be very excited about any candidate as Louisiana's gubernatorial campaigns head into the final two weeks, a pollster says.</p> <p>One possible reason: When Verne Kennedy of Pensacola, Fla., asked 600 voters in a poll Sept. 3-6 about their feelings about Louisiana, 45 percent said the state is on the wrong track and things are getting worse. And fewer -- 38 percent -- believe Louisiana is moving in the right direction and things are getting better.</p>

<p>Only five of seven major candidates for Louisiana governor are eligible so far to participate in a statewide televised debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters later this month.</p> <p>Among other qualifications, the league is requiring candidates show support from at least 8 percent of the voters in public opinion polls.</p>

Democrats Attack Blossman Blossman Sticks to his Guns "Cleo's Bus… Waste of Money" "I am not a racist, but Cleo Fields is," responded Jay Blossman, the conservative candidate for Governor. Blossman expanded by saying, "Cleo is the one demanding special treatment andfunding through the Urban Slush funds, only because of the color of his skin. Because of Cleo, reverse discrimination is alive and well in our Louisiana government." "I believe that race should have no part in our government today," continued Blossman."That is why I have proposed a Racial Privacy Initiative. It would end affirmative action, eliminate minority quotas and...

<p>Leach wants to clean up state budget Mike Hasten / Louisiana Gannett News/Baton Rouge Posted on September 8, 2003 BATON ROUGE - Claude "Buddy" Leach believes setbacks beginning his career have served to temper his determination.</p> <p>Leach, one of the four major Democrats with a chance of getting into a gubernatorial runoff, is using his business savvy, 17 years of governmental experience and community volunteerism as a base for his campaign. "This election is about fundamentally changing our state," he said, adding that he wants to take "a Brillo pad and Purex bleach and scrub the budget."</p>

<p>Do you favor allowing the Louisiana Legislature to control the Minimum Foundation Program for funding public education rather than leaving control with the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education?</p> <p>Kathleen Blanco: I prefer the Minimum Foundation Program. It's what has protected education through the years. The BESE board has the whole picture.</p>

<p>Gubernatorial candidates talk education, economic development Hopefuls also discussed how to keep youth from leaving state.</p> <p>BATON ROUGE - In a gubernatorial forum that was billed as a debate but seemed more like a well-mannered conversation, all the candidates agreed state spending on schools was good, prisons for youth are bad and preschool education was superlative.</p>

<p>Gubernatorial campaigning begins in earnest John Hill Posted on August 24, 2003 BATON ROUGE - Official qualifying last week unofficially kicked off the campaigns for governor as candidates hit the airwaves to build support in the few weeks before the Oct. 4 primary.</p>

Blossman Blasts Democrats on Affirmative Action "I will choose the best people--regardless of race" Public Service Commission Chairman Jay Blossman (R-Mandeville),the conservative candidate for Governor, said today that his Democrat opponents in the gubernatorial election are wrong in pledging to use affirmative action in making cabinet and board appointments. "All four Democrat candidates have publicly committed to discriminate based on race when appointing people to cabinet or board positions," Blossman said. Lt. Governor Kathleen Blanco, Attorney General Richard Ieyoub, Buddy Leach and Randy Ewing on Thursday and Friday endorsed the use of affirmative action in making key state government appointments....

<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>

<p>BATON ROUGE - Former Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle, a Republican candidate for Louisiana governor, alleges that a political leader he declined to identify asked for $25,000 to "take care of the votes in this area."</p> <p>Kyle, kicking off a statewide tour Monday in Baton Rouge, said the money could be legally paid because it was for "voter canvassing" permitted under Louisiana campaign law. But once paid, Kyle said the money could be spent to buy votes.</p>

<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>

<p>Gubernatorial candidate Claude "Buddy" Leach told the Rapides Chapter of the Louisiana Federation of Democratic Women Tuesday he is the only candidate with a serious plan to pay for a state educational program.</p> <p>"The cornerstone for economic development, the cornerstone for getting a handle on juvenile crime, the cornerstone for lifting Louisiana up is providing every child a quality education," he said.</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>