Candidates fill airwaves, mailboxes

• By SARAH CHACKO
• Advocate Capitol news bureau
• Published: Mar 2, 2008

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Candidates for Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District race are filling up airwaves and mailboxes with messages meant to sway voters before the party primary elections Saturday.

GOP candidate Paul Sawyer said television, radio and mailer advertising is particularly important in this truncated special election.

“It’s a very short race and voters are going to be required to make a decision (March 8),” Sawyer said. “We have to accomplish in a month’s time what most campaigns can accomplish in a year and half.”

Sawyer reported spending $14,190 on radio, television and newspaper ads.

Sawyer’s media consultant,  Chad Melder, said Sawyer’s first ads were issue-related but the campaign then moved on to defining the candidate’s character. Four Republicans face each other in a primary election, while five Democrats vie to be that party’s candidate in the general election.

Another three “other party” candidates will be in the general election that will select a replacement for U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, who quit in February.

Democratic candidate Don Cazayoux and Republican candidate Woody Jenkins are leading their parties on media spending, according to the latest available campaign spending reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

The reports were filed Feb. 25 and covered the period from Jan. 1 through Feb. 17.

Cazayoux, a state representative who reported spending $70,667 on television ads, took a light-hearted approach to one of them, asking people off the street to pronounce his last name while pointing out that the people he has helped know it well. Cazayoux’s campaign manager, Katie Nee, said her workers would also be sending out mailers, calling voters and knocking on doors.

Jenkins, who reported spending $18,747 on signs, stickers and advertisements, has funded five commercials dealing with a range of issues, including Livingston Parish’s transportation needs. “People there feel neglected and I wanted to let them know where I stand on infrastructure issues,” Jenkins said.

Democratic Party candidate Jason DeCuir, who reported spending $583 on signs, said he has since spent around $75,000 on the media, including commercials on health care and the federal deficit.

“People are tired of hearing about what ties politicians have to what machines,” said DeCuir. “What people are worried about right now are the issues.”

Republican candidate Laurinda Calongne reported spending $16,500 on advertising through Feb. 17. She also focused on specific issues, such as illegal immigration.  “She’s not afraid to say what she honestly believes,” said Calongne’s media consultant, John Brabender.