Sangisetty experiences agony of defeat – for now

New Iberia Republican Jeff Landry won the U.S. 3rd Congressional District seat Tuesday with 64 percent of the vote on a night that saw Democrats across the nation swept out of the House of Representatives and disregarded at the election booths.

Ravi Sangisetty, his opponent and a Houma native, came a long way as far as furthering his political name and wouldn’t rule out another run for office.

“Well, I’ll continue to fight for the people I care about,” Sangisetty said. “I started this campaign saying that my parents lived their American Dream here in South Louisiana and that’s not what is true these days. People of my generation need to step up and fight for that American Dream, and I’m going to continue to do that.”

On a night that saw the Republicans take control of the House for the first time since 2006, a group of Sangisetty’s supporters and campaigners monitored the national results on their iPhones and BlackBerrys at Christiano Ristorante in Houma.

They watched HTV’s coverage of Louisiana elections in the low-lit barroom in the back of the restaurant, their hope inversely related to the amount of precincts reporting the results.

At 8:57 p.m., with 157 out of 534 precincts finished tabulating and Landry leading 62-38 percent, it became clear that the night would not be one of celebration.

Minutes later, Sangisetty walked in and put on a smiling face for the cameras and his supporters, but gloom was in the air.

Despite the polls and general public belief that Landry would easily win, his supporters maintained their faith until the race was called.

“That’s what killed us,” one of Sangisetty’s supporters said after seeing the numbers from Terrebonne Parish, whose final tally read 16,339-9,646 against their hometown candidate.

Winning Terrebonne wouldn’t have won the election for Sangisetty, as he came 47,048 votes shy of his opponent, but it did make it clear the people were not enamored with the prospect of voting for a Democrat.

The only Dem in a Louisiana election to receive at least 40 percent of the vote was Cedric Richmond, who unseated Republican Joseph Cao in the 2nd Congressional District with 65 percent of the vote.

Nationally, the Republicans gained 60 seats in the House, where they needed 39 for control. The 60-seat gain is the highest by any party since 1948, according to CNN.com.

Prior to the midterm elections, the Democrats controlled the House and Senate, and because the economy and direction of the country has been deemed unsatisfactory, Democratic candidates nationwide took the fall.

“I learned a tremendous amount about people, about the district, about what matters to the voters, and it is true that people are frustrated about what’s the direction of this country,” Sangisetty said.

“Sometimes you step into, perhaps, an environment that is not favorable because of partisanship, but I have no regrets. I know why I’m a Democrat. I’m a Democrat because I care about people and I care about the little guy. And I’ve carried that message a long way. I think it speaks well and it resounded with the voters.”

Although he did not win the seat, the 60,000-plus votes he received last Tuesday serve as an indication as to how far Sangisetty has come in the last year. He entered the race as a relative unknown, but his infectious personality and conservative leanings helped him raise $770,905 to fund his campaign, according to opensecrets.org.

“People came out of nowhere just saying they were ready to support me,” Sangisetty said. “They called in, they were waiting in lines to vote. It is really heartwarming when you step up and put yourself out there and have that kind of response. It’s not something to discount or take for granted. Every vote matters.”

According to the Secretary of State website, voter turnout was unofficially 42.1 percent across the district.

Across the Tri-parish area, Lafourche Parish led the way with a 43.1 percent turnout, St. Mary followed with 42.9 percent and Terrebonne had 41 percent.

The post-election mood was bleak, but Sangisetty said he had no regrets in running for office because he offered the people a choice.

“It’s a tremendous experience to run for office,” he said. “You have to put yourself out there and take a lot of heat, but you do it because you’re fighting for people. I really believe I stepped up and fought for the people of South Louisiana.

“There is no shame in running for office, and there is no shame in things not turning out your way. I think I’ve earned the respect of the people of this district in a way that before I was just a young man that cared about his community, but now I’m a young man that’s stepped up for his community and I’ll never have any shame in that.”