Tuesday, July 20
July 20, 2010Thursday, July 22
July 22, 2010The number of Democrats vying for the state lieutenant governor’s post fell by one last week when St. Tammany Parish District 14 councilman Kenneth Burkhalter dropped out of the race.
The state’s number two job was previously held by Democrat Mitch Landrieu, who resigned in early May after he was elected New Orleans mayor. Gov. Bobby Jindal appointed interim Lt. Gov. Scott Angelle to serve until the fall election.
Morgan City resident and state Sen. Butch Gautreaux (D-21), Shreveport real estate broker Jim Crowley and New Orleans attorney and Loyola law professor Caroline Fayard are the remaining Democrats in the eight-person field. Republicans seeking the lieutenant governor’s seat are Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis, country singer Sammy Kershaw, Baton Rouge physician Melanie McKnight and GOP Party Chairman Roger Villere.
The primary is set for Oct. 2. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to the Nov. 2 runoff. The winner of the race will serve out the remaining two years of Landrieu’s term.
Burkhalter cited the abundance of Democrats seeking office among the reasons for withdrawing his name from consideration.
“Running for lieutenant governor is not about me,” he said in a press release. “It is about the future of Louisiana, the future of our children and uniting the Democratic Party.
“I hope and pray that the other three Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor will decide as I have what is best for the Democratic Party as well as what is best for our state of Louisiana,” he continued. “I will not divide my Democratic Party.”
Burkhalter said he will continue to work on the national boards overseeing the Gulf disaster, which he currently serves on, as well as the St. Tammany District 14’s issues.
Tri-parish contender Gautreaux offered no comment on Burkhalter’s suggestion that the race was overcrowded with Democrats, focusing instead on what he has to offer to the post.
“In the wake of the BP oil spill, a message has been sent to the world that our Gulf is polluted and our seafood is unsafe to eat,” the state senator said. “It is going to take an incredible effort from someone knowledgeable and capable to turn the tide and restore Louisiana’s image as a destination for the world. This is why I am seeking the office of lieutenant governor.”
Gautreaux emphasized his 30 years experience running a business and 15 years in the state Legislature.
“I am unique in the field of candidates in that I have spent my working and personal life in the Gulf of Mexico, marshes, rivers and bayous of Louisiana,” he said. “In short, I understand the issues facing our coast and look forward to serving as our ambassador to the world, and to restoring Louisiana’s image to the prominence it so rightly deserves.”
