Washington Watch for Oct. 6

• By GERARD SHIELDS
• Advocate Washington bureau
• Published: Oct 6, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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State Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, is marching into the final month of his campaign for Louisiana’s 6th Congressional district seat with $476,339 available, according to Federal Election Commission reports filed last week.

Cassidy, a physician, raised $173,500 for the one-month period ending Sept. 14, for a total of $544,163 since becoming a candidate.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Cazayoux, D-New Roads, raised $140,000 for the period, with $137,747 remaining. Cassidy picked up contributions from fellow physicians, business executives and GOP political action committees, having collected $2.1 million, which also includes the money he raised for May’s special election.

Cazayoux got his chief backing from fellow attorneys, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and labor unions.

A report for independent state Rep. Michael Jackson was unavailable. Jackson reported having $12,603 remaining for the period ending Aug. 17.

In the race for Louisiana’s 7th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, had $711,691 available. His opponent, state Sen. Donald Cravins Jr., D-Opelousas, had $45,414 left. Cravins has raised $286,050 since starting his campaign.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, reported $292,990 left in his campaign to keep the Louisiana 1st Congressional District seat. His Democratic opponent, businessman Jim Harlan, reported $56,088 available. Harlan has loaned his campaign $815,000 since it began.

U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., announced last week the award of a $667,000 grant to the Southern Rapid Rail Transit Commission to study the feasibility of a passenger rail link between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

“This grant will help us explore how rail transportation can help strengthen Louisiana’s economy and serve residents of our state,” Vitter said in a statement. “By exploring the costs, logistics, potential ridership and economic benefits of passenger rail, we can determine whether this would be a worthy investment in our infrastructure.”