Senator Kennedy Will Run for Reelection

US Senator John Kennedy is running for reelection in 2022. The Mississippi-born, Zachary-raised Republican said it’s been an honor to serve the state in D.C. Kennedy made the announcement in a video released Tuesday morning.

“Five years ago I made a promise, a promise that I took seriously. I promised that I would work, put our country back on track, and make America great again,” said Kennedy. “I promise that I will be a voice against the socialism that has now overtaken Washington D.C. I promise that hell or high water your values will be my values.”

Kennedy, a Democrat until 2007, served as a lawyer to Governor Roemer and Revenue Secretary under Governor Foster before winning the 1999 race for State Treasurer. It took Kennedy three tries to win his Senate seat, first losing as a Democrat in the 2004 open seat race, then failing to unseat incumbent Mary Landrieu in 2008.

Kennedy won the 2016 US Senate election defeating Democratic Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell 61 to 39 percent. Kennedy took first place in the jungle primary that proceeded it with 25 percent, with Republican former Congressman Charles Boustany coming in third with 15 percent.

UL Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross expects Kennedy will have a relatively stress-free reelection. Cross said the only Democrat who could potentially put up a real fight is Governor Edwards, but on his monthly talk show Ask the Governor Edwards said he was planning to serve out the rest of his term and then go back to the private sector.

“There’s really no Democrat with stature in Louisiana that would be able to make a very successful challenge at this time at least,” said Cross.

Cross said Kennedy likely won’t face a real challenger from within the Republican Party, giving him the freedom to use this reelection to pad his election bank account for a future move.

“Senator Kennedy has been very assiduous in making sure that he is quite conservative and he has not irritated any of his constituents by, say, voting for President Trump’s impeachment,” said Cross, referring to Republican Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy’s pro-impeachment vote earlier this year.