United States Senate election in Louisiana, 2004
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Elections in Louisiana |
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The 2004 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 2, 2004. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator John Breaux decided to retire. Republican U.S. Representative David Vitter won the jungle primary with 51% of the vote and avoided a runoff.
Candidates
Democratic Party
- Chris John, U.S. Representative
- John Neely Kennedy, State Treasurer
Republican Party
- David Vitter, U.S. Representative
Campaign
Breaux endorsed Chris John prior to the jungle primary.[1]
During the campaign, Vitter was accused by a member of the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee of having had a lengthy affair with a prostitute in New Orleans. Vitter responded that the allegation was "absolutely and completely untrue" and that it was "just crass Louisiana politics." The allegation later turned out to be true.[2]
Vitter won the Louisiana jungle primary with 51% of the vote, avoiding the need for a runoff. John received 29.2% of the vote and Kennedy (no relation to the Massachusetts Kennedys), took 14.9%.
Vitter won at least a plurality in 56 of Louisiana's 64 parishes. John carried nine parishes, all but two of which (Iberville and Orleans) are part of the House district he represented.
Kennedy changed parties and ran as Republican in 2008 against Louisiana's senior Senator, Democrat Mary Landrieu. Landrieu was re-elected.
Vitter was the first Republican in Louisiana to be popularly elected as a U.S. Senator. The previous Republican Senator, William Pitt Kellogg, was chosen by the state legislature in 1876, in accordance with the process used before the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution went into effect in 1914.[3]
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | David Vitter | 943,014 | 51.03 | ||
Democratic | Chris John | 542,150 | 29.34 | ||
Democratic | John Neely Kennedy | 275,821 | 14.92 | ||
Democratic | Arthur A. Morrell | 47,222 | 2.56 | ||
Independent | Richard M. Fontanesi | 15,097 | 0.82 | ||
Independent | R. A. "Skip" Galan | 12,463 | 0.67 | ||
Democratic | Sam Houston Melton, Jr. | 12,289 | 0.66 | ||
Majority | 400,864 | 21.69 | |||
Turnout | 1,848,056 | ||||
Republican gain from Democratic | Swing | ||||
External links
- Elections Division from the Louisiana Secretary of State
References
- ↑ http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2004/key-races/la_senate.html
- ↑ Shailagh Murray, "Senator's Number on 'Madam' Phone List", Washington Post, July 10, 2007
- ↑ Rudin, Ken (2004-11-01). "Final Call: Kerry Wins Narrow Electoral Margin; GOP Gains in House, Senate". NPR. Retrieved 2008-04-30.