Presidency plays in 6th race

• By SARAH CHACKO
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Nov 3, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:00 a.m.

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The presidential election is now playing a role in the final days of the campaigns of three candidates for the Baton Rouge-based 6th U.S. Congressional District.

State Rep. Michael Jackson, No Party-Baton Rouge, and state Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, are challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Cazayoux, D-New Roads, for the seat in Tuesday’s election.

The winner only has to get the most votes, not  a 50 percent-plus-one majority.

The 6th District includes all of East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Livingston, St. Helena, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes and parts of Ascension, Iberville and Pointe Coupee parishes.

Jackson, a lawyer, said he is aggravated by recent advertisements targeted at black voters that align Cazayoux with Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

Obama also recorded a message supporting the re-election of Cazayoux, which is being phoned to voters in the 6th District.

“I see a clear double standard, how they put this nonsense in the black community and they try to divorce themselves from it in the white community,” Jackson said. “It’s a shame that they disregard black voters to that extent, whereby they fail to engage them on real issues.”

Throughout the campaign, Jackson and Cassidy have criticized Cazayoux’s endorsement of Obama, calling it “soft.”

Cazayoux contends that he has always supported Obama. But despite his party affiliation, Cazayoux said is an independent person and has been an independent legislator in Congress.

“We’ve had the kitchen sink thrown at us before,” Cazayoux said. “We just stay focused on the issues.”

Jackson, who is black, lost to Cazayoux in a special primary election this spring to fill the seat vacated early by former longtime U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge.

Cassidy and Cazayoux are both white.

Jackson dropped his affiliation with the Democratic Party to challenge Cazayoux as an independent in Tuesday’s election. Since there is only one candidate from each party running in the fall election, there was no need for a primary.