La. GOP sounds call to arms

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 8, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Three potential candidates, including a new entrant, into this fall’s 6th Congressional District race sounded a sense of urgency Saturday for Republican recapture of the seat that fell to Democratic hands last month.

Republicans lost the Baton Rouge-area district to Democrat Don Cazayoux, of New Roads, in a special election to fill the remainder of U.S. Rep. Richard Baker’s term. The seat, which had been in the GOP column since 1975, will be up for grabs again this fall.

Businesswoman Laurinda Calongne and former state Rep. Woody Jenkins — candidates in the race Cazayoux won — told the Republican State Central Committee that the GOP must prepare for an infusion of Democrat campaign cash and new voters in this presidential election year.

Calongne said the 6th District race alone would cost Republicans $4 million. Jenkins said Republicans must be prepared to combat voter registration drives being mounted around Democrat Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

“We have to have a sense of urgency,” said state Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Baton Rouge physician who told the GOP crowd he is definitely in the 6th District race.

“Our Republican Party is being challenged like it’s never been challenged before, losing this congressional seat will add to that,” said Cassidy.

Fall elections were on party members’ minds as they met for routine business and to hear prospective candidates in fall federal elections.

State Republican Party Chairman Roger Villere said the state party is preparing for a voter registration drive and some parish executive committees are hard at work. The party’s $1.37 million annual operating budget approved Saturday includes $500,000 for grassroots activities.

Putting Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain in the White House is critical to the nation’s future, Villere said. He said the alternative is the “liberal” Obama, who has said he would negotiate with “some of the worst murderers and despots.”

In the 6th District race, Jenkins — who lost to Cazayoux — said low voter turnout hurt Republican chances this spring,  but a high voter turnout triggered by this fall’s presidential election “can dramatically change the vote.”

But Jenkins said Republicans have their work cut out because of Obama, who has raised $300 million in the current election cycle. “He’s doubled what been raised by John McCain and he’s only just begun,” Jenkins said.

Obama supporters have already started voter registration drives in the state, reportedly signing up 90,000 in four parishes alone, he said.

“We need to wake up … we don’t need any part-time Republicans. We need to recognize we are in the fight of our life,” Jenkins said. “Are we asleep on the beach waiting for the tsunami to hit?”