Candidates Lining Up to Run For U.S. Senate in Louisiana

Candidates are stacking up in the 2016 US Senate Race for the seat being vacated by David Vitter. Republican Congressman Charles Boustany is formally announcing today joining fellow GOPs US Rep John Fleming and retired Air Force Col Rob Maness. Republican State Treasurer John Kennedy is expected to run and Scott Angelle’s name has been mentioned. Democratic Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell is also thinking about making a run.

Political analyst Elliot Stonecipher says Fleming will have a tough battle because he'll have another Congressman in the race in Charles Boustany. "They have similar kinds of tenure in Washington, but Boustany has a bigger base in South Louisiana and Acadiana. I think he probably has a little more currency, politically, because he had to run to save his seat after reapportionment. That's when he beat Jeff Landry who was coming out of a district that we lost because of reapportionment."

I think there are a lot of reasons that Boustany has more strength, statewide. He also does seem to know how to raise money. John Fleming does well, but Fleming has the Maness factor. Maness runs really well in North Louisiana.