Polls will open on Saturday for the special open primary for LA-HD94, and the ballot is set. Here is how the ballot will appear on Saturday:
State Representative, 94th Representative District
0 of 53 precincts reporting
Click here for Results by Parish
0 0% Philip C. Brickman, R –
0 0% “Jeb” Bruneau, R –
0 0% John M. Holahan, Jr., D –
0 0% Deborah J. Langhoff, D –
0 0% Nicholas J. “Nick” Lorusso, R –
0 0% William “Bill” Vanderwall, Sr., D –
Deborah Langhoff, the grassroots Democrat who is running on a compelling message of government reform, has been running an aggressive campaign as evidenced by this mailer, one directed at her most redoubtable opponent, Jeb Bruneau:
Such mailers are designed to keep Bruneau on the defensive, and it appears to be working, as Peppi, Jeb’s father, the Republican who abandoned this seat before the last legislative session of his 32 year term in order to bequeath it to his son in a rushed special election, must now answer the uncomfortable questions of constituents and reporters. Langhoff effectively shaped the main theme of this race, and everyone, including the Bruneaus, both père and fils, must react to her claims and to her message. These quotes from a Times Picayune article demonstrate the success of Langhoff’s media campaign:
Peppi Bruneau (R)
On the campaign trail, Bruneau’s resignation is being portrayed as a “political handoff.” Peppi Bruneau, however, says the sniping is only rhetoric.
“I have always said I didn’t intend to be term-limited,” he said. “I didn’t want to do that. It was like being a lame duck, and I didn’t want to be a lame duck.”
In a response to a constituent who questioned his motives, Bruneau wrote that the winner of the special election stands to gain instant seniority over the 50-plus new House members who will be elected in the fall.
“I think that this will provide an advantage for our area, and that is why I have resigned,” he wrote. “I do not find this to be an awkward moment.”
But Peppi Bruneau scoffs at any notion that anything nefarious is afoot.
“How can you sneak something through when there are five opponents?” he asked. “I’d say interest is pretty high in this race.”
Deborah Langhoff (D)
“I’m not saying they did anything illegal, but they definitely manipulated the process,” Langhoff said.
Nick Lorusso (R)
Lorusso said Bruneau — who will step down on April 30, the first day of the regular legislative session — abandoned the devastated district for his final term of office to bolster his son’s chances of election.
“It’s outrageous,” said Lorusso, echoing the feelings of most of the other candidates. “When this district needs Peppi Bruneau the most, we won’t have him.”
Jeb Bruneau (R)
For his part, Jeb Bruneau says his father did not urge him to run for a position he feels he is prepared to hold, having served nearly two years as president of the Lakeview Civic Association and having helped to coordinate the ongoing recovery of his neighborhood.
“If you want to be upset with Peppi, be upset with Peppi,” he said. “But judge Jeb on Jeb.
“This was not my idea. I understand what it means to be part of a political family. Let’s face it, my decision to run would have been an issue in the fall, too.”
Philip Brickman (R)
For example, on his Web site, Brickman refers readers to a newspaper article on what he calls “our district’s last-minute special election.”
The cost of holding an election on that day was anticipated when lawmakers adopted the state budget last year, Peppi Bruneau said. Whatever the cost, Brickman said, “it is a waste of taxpayer money.”
John Holahan (D)
And as part of his platform, Holahan is pledging to introduce legislation to eliminate special elections when legislators resign with less than a year left in a term. Instead of incurring the expense of an election, Holahan’s proposal calls for the House leadership to fill the vacancy on an interim basis with the appointee barred from running for the job.
Langhoff shaped the terms of this election, and she has the heir apparent cornered. As the Times Picayune reports, “While crime, education and the slow pace of the hurricane recovery are integral parts of the campaign debate, references to the incumbent’s resignation are inescapable.”
Although Deborah has effectively defined this election, she still trails in fundraising. According to the Times Picayune,
State campaign finance reports that cover activity through Feb. 28 show that Jeb Bruneau had raised about $85,000, significantly more than any of his opponents.
Raising the next-highest total was Langhoff, with about $15,000, followed by Brickman with $5,500 and Holahan with $4,500. No fundraising was reported by either Lorusso or Vanderwall.
For a grassroots candidate with no support from the Democratic establishment, Langhoff is performing really well. If she qualifies for the runoff, I imagine Louisiana Democrats will be forced to support her campaign. More egregious, however, is the lack of support Langhoff is receiving from local Democrats, particularly City Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, state Sen. Ed Murray and state Rep. J.P. Morrell, who are all inexplicably endorsing Republican Jeb Bruneau. These three elected officials should reconsider their endorsements, especially as Democrats may risk their majorities in the state House and Senate.
But Deborah has secured the endorsements of the AFL-CIO and the New Orleans Coalition, a Hurricane Katrina relief organization. And even though Jeb Bruneau managed to secure the endorsement of corrupt machine Democrats in New Orleans, he failed to capture the endorsement of the Alliance for Good Government, of which Jeb is a member. That endorsement went to Republican Nick Larusso.
Because this race is not yet over, I ask you to contribute to Langhoff’s campaign. Not only has she managed to shape the terms of this election on very limited funds; she has a real chance of qualifying for the runoff. Early support will catapult her ahead of her presumptive runoff opponent Jeb Bruneau for this crucial Louisiana House seat. Also visit her website, where one can view her videos. This candidate understands the issues facing her district, and she will recreate and reactivate the Louisiana Democratic Party from within. Let us back Deborah Langhoff.
