Breaux Qualified To Run For LA. Governor?
Lousiania Governor Kathleen Blanco has announced she will not run for re-election, leaving the democrats in search of a candidate who can defeat the popular Bobby Jindal.
Former Senator John Breaux had said he would not run as long as Blanco was in the race, but now that she is out he is checking for legal opinions to see if it will be legal for him to run.
The problem is that the Lousiana constitution states a person must have been a resident of the state for the preceeding five years in order to run for Governor.
Mr. Breaux has declared Maryland to be his home state and has even registered to vote there.
He is now asking for a legal ruling as to whether or not he qualifies to be on the ballot.
According to this article:
Former U.S. Sen. John Breaux said he will run for Louisiana governor if the state attorney general determines he meets the legal requirements to enter the race.
… Breaux said he would give up his lobbying job in Washington, D.C., and begin campaigning if the state attorney general determines he meets residency requirements to run.
“I could stay here and live a very good life, but this is my last opportunity to be helpful to our state through public service,” Breaux told The Associated Press on Friday by telephone from the Washington area.
Republicans have raised questions about whether Breaux can be a legal candidate in Louisiana. To be eligible to run for a statewide elected office, the state Constitution requires that a person be a “citizen” of the state for “at least the preceding five years.”
Breaux is registered to vote in Maryland and lists his primary address there, about 70 miles from Washington, where he works for Patton Boggs LLP, a lobbying firm. Republicans say that disqualifies him from running for Louisiana governor.
State Rep. Eric LaFleur, chairman of the Louisiana House Democratic Caucus, said he will ask for the legal opinion from Attorney General Charles Foti on whether Breaux could legally run for governor. Foti also is a Democrat.
As a private citizen, Breaux does not have standing to make the request for an attorney general’s opinion, but LaFleur can and said he will file his request with Foti’s office next week. It’s unclear how long it would take for Foti’s office to issue a ruling.
“I would hope they’ll have an opportunity to get a quick turnaround,” Breaux said. “I’m going to wait until we get that ruling, and I will plan accordingly.”
It does seem to be pretty cut and dried, but we never know what might happen in the world of politics. Stay tuned.
Jim Addison from Wizbang Politics is also blogging on this topic.
Written by Jeanette