Poll leaves Edwards little room for optimism

My Baton Rouge Advocate colleague Stephanie Grace makes for readers the optimistic case for reelection next year of Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards. Here, readers will find the realistic case.

Grace notes the latest quarterly polling results on governors put out by the political research group Morning Consult gives Edwards’ approval exceeding disapproval by 49-35, with the remainder unwilling to say one way or the other. She observes that he “just eked into the top half” of the list and states “That’s pretty good news for a Democrat running in a Republican-leaning state.”

No, it’s not. If in fact a Democrat has to contest in a “Republican-leaning” state, he had better have a significant gap above 50 percent, because elections aren’t a plebiscite on an officeholder’s performance but a contest against real flesh-and-blood opponents. And, as earlier polling data have indicated, Edwards does not fare well against presumptive GOP opponents.

The Press-Herald column, Jul. 25, 2018

GOP takes La. House seat, sorta
http://press-herald.com/gop-takes-la-house-seat-sorta/

Links:
http://press-herald.com/who-is-officially-running-for-office/
https://thehayride.com/2018/07/one-day-in-the-most-interesting-developments-in-louisianas-2018-qualifying-are/

Surprises, continuity mark LA fall qualifying

Qualifying for state and federal elective offices last week ratified some past choices, threw another into turmoil, and even affected the biggest race on the ballot next year.

The one statewide special election, for Secretary of State, topped the ballot. But U.S. House of Representatives seats, a couple of Supreme Court posts, and a spot on the Public Service Commission also were up for grabs.

The jobs on the state’s top court and the PSC promised great continuity. Perhaps buoyed by his recent decision to buck his fellow commissioners by voting against the wasteful Windcatcher project, PSC District 2 Republican Commissioner Craig Greene drew no challengers, just a year after he won the place in a special election.

Shreveporters to have many fall choices

By the looks of candidate qualification for Shreveport city elected offices, unless you’re the scion of a political mini-dynasty, people are unhappy with you.

The city’s mayor contest drew 10 candidates and the City Council will have a whopping 22 candidates spread over its seven districts. Perhaps more informatively, six districts have 21 candidates in the running. Only District G’s Democrat Jerry Bowman, serving as his mother once did, escaped any competition.

In fact, two incumbents find themselves part of a rematch. In District A, Democrat Willie Bradford finds himself up against the incumbent he defeated four years ago, Democrat Rose Wilson McCulloch (herself daughter of a former elected official). In District G, Democrat Stephanie Lynch will try to fend off again former member (of some two decades ago) James Green.

The Advocate column, Jul. 22, 2018

Louisiana health department has more work to do on disabilities waiver list
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_fc6b8b9e-8b98-11e8-b1a9-fba457a54ee9.html

Links:
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_4dfc696c-890d-11e8-ac6a-57fb857efa70.html
http://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/4687
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_e530e7fe-700d-11e8-80be-bf6dff28f252.html
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_3351e20e-3381-11e8-99d2-67f3f7e44569.html