Cravins vies to unseat Boustany

• By RICHARD BURGESS
• Advocate Acadiana bureau
• Published: Nov 1, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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LAFAYETTE — While all eyes are on Tuesday’s presidential race, Acadiana voters will elect a congressman, a state representative and decide whether to fund a new high school in Evangeline Parish.

In the race for the 7th Congressional District, state Senator Don Cravins Jr., D-Opelousas, is fighting to unseat two-term incumbent Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, a retired surgeon.

Boustany has campaigned largely on his record, while Cravins has attacked the congressman on his effectiveness in addressing hurricane protection, health care and other needs of the district, which includes most of southwest Louisiana.

Cravins has also hammered Boustany for voting to support the recent $700 billion financial rescue package — a vote Boustany says was unsavory but critical to spare the nation from economic disaster.

For one, it is tough to unseat an incumbent congressman, and Boustany has amassed a campaign war chest much larger than his Democrat challenger’s.

Still, Cravins — a conservative Democrat who touts his “pro-gun, pro-life” values — has out-raised Boustany in some campaign finance reporting periods leading up to the election.

Boustany also faces a challenge from third-party candidate Peter Vidrine, a Eunice businessman running under the banner of the Constitution Party.

In the House District 31 legislative race, Lafayette family law attorney Nancy Landry and Maurice businessman Troy Theriot are competing to fill the seat of Don Trahan.

Trahan was in the first year of his second term when he resigned last month to take a job with the state Department of Education, setting the stage for a whirlwind campaign.

Landry lost to Trahan last year by 33 votes, and Theriot has been involved in Trahan’s past two campaigns.

House District 31 takes in portions of northern Vermilion Parish and southern Lafayette Parish.