A post at this site on October 17 mentioned the U.S. House elections held in Louisiana while that state used “top-two”. This is a supplementary post concerning U.S. Senate elections in Louisiana. That state held ten U.S. Senate elections during the years when Louisiana used “top-two”, and in none of them was any incumbent U.S. Senator ever defeated, in either the first or second rounds.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
Prior to adoption of Top 2, 17 of Louisiana’s senatorial elections were unopposed, in 4 cases the winner had 88%, 80%, 76%, and 74%. It appears that Louisiana didn’t actually bother to have a popular election in 1914 following adoption of the 17th Amendment.
The only close election in 1972 was following Allen Ellender’s retirement, but that was largely due to John McKeithen missing the filing deadline for the Democratic primary and running as an independent, along side a Republican and American party candidate, holding John Bennett Johnston to 55%.
There were 3 instances of an open seat under Top 2. In two of the three, the runnerup in the primary was elected (1986 John Breaux and 1996 Mary Landrieu) David Vitter had a majority in 2004.
Had Louisiana not gone back to the corrupt partisan primary system, it is quite conceivable that Mary Landrieu would have beaten in 2008.
My original post included incumbent U.S. Senators who had been defeated in Louisiana since the “top-two” system started, in EITHER round.
Jim Riley’s post only mentions Louisiana U.S. Senate general elections. He says no incumbent was defeated, but what he omits is that two incumbent Louisiana U.S. Senators were defeated in Democratic primaries. They were Joseph Ransdall, defeated by Huey Long in 1930; and Edwin Broussard, defeated by John Overton in 1932.
Huey Long was governor of Louisiana at the time of the 1930 primary and was facing opposition to his policies. He pledged to resign the governorship if he lost the primary. He won the primary, and the general election and continued to serve as governor.
The Lieutenant Governor attempted to become governor, saying that Long had been elected senator. Long refused to resign, and got a court ruling that the Lieutenant Governor himself had resigned by his act of attempting to become governor. After Long had replaced the Lieutenant Governor, he eventually took his senate seat in 1932.
Long was also influential in the 1932 primary:
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/expulsion_cases/117LongOverton_expulsion.htm
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,746402,00.html
#1: Sen. Allen Ellender ran for re-election in 1972 but died during the Democratic primary campaign, leaving Bennett Johnston as the only serious Democratic candidate. Former Gov. McKeithen then jumped into the race as an independent.
In 2004, David Vitter became Louisiana’s first-ever popularly elected Republican U. S. senator.
Are you saying that your beloved “top two” reduces corruption? Have you looked at the long list of Louisiana politicians who have gone to prison since the “top two” has been in effect there?
Ex-Gov. Edwin Edwards, the “father of the open primary,” is now rotting in a federal prison.
#1: I don’t know how you figure Sen. Mary Landrieu could have been beaten in 2008 under any circumstances.
When Landrieu won her second term in 2002, she essentially assured herself of a lifetime job.
#5 The primary would have been held in November. As it was, she only got 52% of the vote against only one major opponent (John Kennedy). With a couple more candidates on the ballot she is forced into a runoff, and might have lost in December.
#4 Louisiana was corrupt long before Edwin Edwards arrived.
#6: Under the “top two” in 2002, Sen. Landrieu was forced into a December runoff with the Republican Suzanne Terrell. Landrieu won, despite the then-popular President Bush campaigning for Terrell.
Your cherished “top two” obviously has not worked to clean up the corruption in the Bayou State.
Since YOUR HERO, ex-Gov. Edwards, is doing his time in a Texas prison, you might want to pay him a visit.
#7 David Treen and John Breaux have both campaigned for the release of Edwin Edwards, but President Bush declined to do so. Perhaps the current president will do so.
Edwards is at Oakdale prison in Louisiana between Alexandria and Lake Charles, and about 60 miles from Marksville, his home town.
#8: Edwards, now age 82, will have to wait at least another three-plus years to be released, since presidents don’t usually do that until just before they leave office.
Edwards must have been transferred to the Oakdale prison. That’s also where Bernie Ebbers, ex-CEO of WorldCom, is incarcerated; Bernie also tried unsuccessfully to get George W. to release him.