Analysis: Many Louisiana incumbents get a free pass

Incumbent politicians are getting a pretty easy run of things this fall.

Most statewide elected officials, including Gov. Bobby Jindal, have no major challengers with enough financial backing to block a return to their posts for a new term. Nearly half the state’s lawmakers are walking back into office without a contest. Dozens of municipal officials have won re-election bids without mounting a campaign.

A poor economy drying up certain fundraising pots, the decline of the Democrats on Louisiana’s statewide political scene and a seeming lack of interest from voters and potential candidates alike have combined into a quieter-than-usual fall election cycle for Louisiana.

But is that a good thing, to have little debate and little scrutiny given to so many officials?

“An opponent is very, very healthy. It’s good for issues. It’s good for the public,” said Dale Bayard, a member of the state education board from Lake Charles who faces a challenger this fall.

Elected officials say their job performances are reviewed every time they put their names on a ballot. If voters think they’re doing poor jobs, they won’t choose to re-elect those officials to office.

However, the Oct. 22 election should be reminding voters again that they often don’t get a choice, an unfortunate situation that likely showcases political apathy more than a confidence in the current officeholders.

Many people don’t care, don’t think they can change the system, don’t have the resources to run a campaign or don’t want the close inspection that comes with a bid for office.

Even the Democratic Party couldn’t woo well-known candidates for Louisiana’s seven statewide elected posts.

No Democrats signed up for the races for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general or treasurer as the election qualifying period wrapped up last week.

The Democrats who qualified for governor, insurance commissioner and agriculture commissioner haven’t held elected office before and haven’t raised any serious cash for their campaign efforts so far, making it difficult to garner the statewide name recognition and attention.

Meanwhile, in legislative seats, 20 of the senators who begin terms in January and 41 of the House members have won election outright, without any opposition. That’s more than half the members of the Senate and nearly 40 percent of the House members.

Two senators have never even held the seats they’re taking without challenge.

Republican Ronnie Johns, a former state representative from Sulphur who was forced out by term limits, will take a vacant Senate seat, while state Rep. Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, moves up to an open Senate job without opposition.

The House seat Cortez is leaving behind will be filled without a contested election by Stuart Bishop, a Republican from Lafayette who is in the concrete business and who has never held elected office. He made it look easy, taking his first elected post without needing much of a campaign effort.

Besides apathy, the economy certainly has taken its toll on the ability to drum up campaign cash, making it tougher for those who aren’t independently wealthy, or who don’t have the fundraising abilities of a sitting governor or U.S. Sen. David Vitter, to finance election bids. Plus, some statewide offices don’t start off generating much of an interest for donors.

“It is very difficult out there to raise money,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler, a Republican who faces opposition from GOP House Speaker Jim Tucker. “This position is one that’s particularly difficult to get people excited about.”

One place that hasn’t had trouble attracting contenders after years of relatively quiet races is the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

BESE is attracting more scrutiny as the board has been sharply split on school grading, charter school expansion and the hiring of a new superintendent. Also, Jindal has gotten involved in the races, trying to tilt the board’s membership more toward his favor.

The education board incumbents are getting more than their usual share of challengers.

Seven of the eight elected BESE members are running for re-election, and six of them face opposition, promising at least debate about education policy before the Oct. 22 election.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Melinda Deslatte covers state politics for The Associated Press.