New Republican PAC seeks GOP majority in Legislature

With term-limits kicking in for many Louisiana lawmakers, some big-money Republicans see a chance to increase their party’s presence in the Legislature.

They organized a new political action this year to raise money for the 2007 legislative elections.

The Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority is headed by New Orleans developer Joseph Canizaro. It already has more than $600,000 in the bank, with a goal of raising $2.5 million by the time candidates qualify for the fall elections.

Term limits are fueling much of the activity to make GOP inroads aimed at political control, said the committee’s executive director, John Diez Jr.

The committee will be active in 27 to 30 Louisiana House districts and five to seven Senate districts in the fall elections, Diez said.

Most of the work will be to elect Republicans to seats now held by Democratic lawmakers who cannot seek re-election because of term limits, Diez said. But there will also be work to help GOP lawmakers ward off Democratic challengers, he said.

The House is perceived as the Republicans’ best shot because some 70 percent of its term-limited lawmakers are Democrats, he said.

Forty-seven members of the 105-seat House and 15 of 39 state senators cannot seek re-election to their seats n limited to three consecutive four-year terms in their chambers.

“This is strictly trying to hold onto the seats we have in the House and get 13 more seats, which would get us a majority,” Diez said.

In the Senate, the committee will be trying to hold onto existing GOP seats and trying to add two: Senate Districts 31 and 32, currently held by term-limited Democrats Mike Smith of Winnfield and Noble Ellington of Winnsboro, Diez said.

The Louisiana Republican Party traditionally stays out of races in which there are two or more Republicans.

But Diez said the independent committee will endorse one Republican candidate over another if the individual is clearly better and more likely to win in a district.

The political action committee’s goal is to expand to at least 250 contributors. With 250 donors who have given at least $50, the group attains “major PAC” status, allowing it to double the contributions allowed to candidates it backs.

In the case of legislative races, favored candidates could get $5,000 per election instead of the usual $2,500.

The Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority started operation in early 2006. So far, 18 contributors have pledged $100,000 each, Diez said.

According to campaign finance records, two contributors have already hit the $100,000 maximum allowed during an election cycle: C-Logistics LLC of Galliano and Bob Perry of Houston.

Among the $50,000 contributors to date are Mockler Beverage, Thomas Turner, Michael Polito, Joseph T. Spinosa and The Shaw Group, all of Baton Rouge; Canizaro, Phyllis Taylor, Dieter Hugel and Edward Diefenthan, all of New Orleans, Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, Otto Candies of Des Allemands and Dolphin Marine International of Galliano.

Many on the list are major contributors to the Republican Party and candidates on the national and state front.

Louisiana Democratic Party chairman Chris Whittington said dont look for Democratic supporters to create a similar independent committee.

“We are just going to have the Democratic Party. We have had success on the fundraising front. It helps to keep things being done on the up and up,” said Whittington.