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A pair of Louisiana special election matchups are set after Saturday’s primary runoffs, with a high-profile race forming for former Rep. Richard Baker’s (R) Baton Rouge seat and state Sen. Steve Scalise (R) a heavy favorite to join Congress later this month. Former Senate candidate Woody Jenkins won the GOP primary in Baker’s district, defeating businesswoman Laurinda Calongne 62-38, according to unofficial totals from the Louisiana secretary of state. He will face state Rep. Don Cazayoux, the favorite of national Democrats, who defeated fellow state Rep. Michael Jackson 57-43. Baker’s district has proven conservative in the past, but questions about Jenkins’s viability and a flood of new residents in the district following Hurricane Katrina make the special election potentially competitive. In Gov. Bobby Jindal’s (R) former House seat, Scalise won the Republican primary as expected, 58-42, over state Rep. Tim Burns. Scalise will face Democrat Gilda Reed for Jindal’s 1st district seat in one of the most conservative House districts in the country. The real battle will be in the 6th district, where GOPers will try to avoid losing a second conservative district to a special election this cycle. They previously lost former House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s (R) seat to now-Rep. Bill Foster (D) in March. “[Cazayoux] is a strong, independent leader who shares the values and priorities of middle class families in Louisiana’s 6th District,” said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). “He is a tenacious fighter to create jobs, improve education, and provide health care to Louisiana’s children. Don would be a tremendous asset to our fight for change in Washington.” Republicans said Jenkins has “deep roots” in Baton Rouge. Jenkins narrowly lost statewide to Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) in 1996. “Woody Jenkins is a small business owner, serving as producer and editor of three community newspapers,” the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said in a memorandum. “He served 28 years in the Louisiana State House, representing Baton Rouge. Jenkins authored many elements of the current Louisiana Constitution, including the Preamble, the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the State Tax Limitation.” The special elections for both seats will take place May 3. |
