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Scalise to run for Jindal’s seat with help of Livingston, top Bush fundraisers |
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By Aaron Blake
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Posted: 12/07/07 12:48 PM [ET] |
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Louisiana state Rep. Steve Scalise (R) will be a candidate for the special election to replace Rep. Bobby Jindal (R), and he enters the race with some heavyweights behind him. Scalise told The Hill on Friday that he is running and will likely make a formal announcement in January, close to the Jan. 29-31 qualifying window. After filing a statement of candidacy this week, he will hold a fundraiser in Washington next week with former Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.), who held the seat until 1999 and now works as a lobbyist.
Scalise also said he has secured two top Louisiana fundraisers for President Bush — Joe Canizaro and Donald “Boysie” Bollinger — for his finance team.The seat is heavily Republican and should feature a crowded primary field and lots of money, but Scalise is an early front-runner. Other candidates set to run include Slidell Mayor Ben Morris; state Rep. Tim Burns; and former Gov. Dave Treen. St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis has formed an exploratory committee.
State Sens. Art Lentini and Tom Schedler and Jefferson Parish Council members Tom Capella and John Young have also been mentioned. Scalise has been in the state House for 12 years and was just elected to the state Senate. The congressional seat became open when Jindal won the governorship in October. The parties will hold primaries on March 8, with runoffs set for April 5 and the general on May 8.
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