Qualifying is underway in the closed primaries. Among those who qualified for U.S. Senate this morning was Republican State Treasurer John Fleming, who noted that he was the first one to announce a primary challenge to Bill Cassidy.
“Do you want a candidate who’s been coronated, or do you want one who has been working hard for 14 months, to have your support and your vote?” Fleming asked.
Fleming said in a still-crowded field, made a little less so following President Trump’s endorsement of Congresswoman Julia Letlow, he’s still the most conservative candidate in the Republican primary.
“I score, by far, the highest. My average is 92%. Ms. Letlow is 71%, and Bill Cassidy is 65%,”Fleming noted.
Whoever emerges with the Republican nomination will not have a cakewalk in the general election campaign, as at least one Democrat has qualified. Jamie Davis says at the end of the day, everyone has the same feelings about what’s happening in Washington.
“Republicans, like Democrats, are sick of this mess that they’re doing with our state and with the country. They’re tired of it,” Davis said.
In the last couple decades, Republicans have dominated U.S. Senate races in Louisiana. Mary Landrieu is the last Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race when she won re-election in 2008. and Davis hardly has any name recognition outside of far northeast Louisiana right now. Using a boxing metaphor, Davis says do not count him out should he emerge as the Democratic Senate nominee.
“Mike Tyson took a fight against a guy named Buster Douglas. Nobody knew him, just like nobody knows me. But one right hook, and we had a new champion,” Davis said.