NEWS
October 24, 1999 | Associated Press
Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster won a second term Saturday, becoming the second member of his family to usher in a new century as governor. The state's unique open primary system pits all candidates against one another in one primary race, regardless of party. If no one wins more than half the votes, the top two candidates go into a runoff. Foster, a Republican, received well over half, easily besting his 11 challengers. His top-running challenger, Rep.
NEWS
May 30, 1999 | From Times Wire Reports
Former state Rep. David Vitter was elected to succeed Bob Livingston in Congress, winning a close election over former Gov. Dave Treen. With 99% of the precincts reporting, Vitter got 51% to Treen's 49%. The two solidly conservative Republican lawyers, both veteran politicians, struggled to point out their differences after they were the top finishers in a field of nine in a May 1 primary.
NEWS
August 22, 1998 | Reuters
Two death threats, both signed "KKK," against a Louisiana Supreme Court candidate and a campaign supporter are considered "very serious" and are being investigated as hate crimes, an FBI spokeswoman said. Democrat Bill Quigley, a teacher at Loyola University Law School who volunteers as a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, said he received the threat Thursday.
NEWS
October 2, 1997 | From Times Staff and Wire Reports
After months of partisan wrangling, the Senate Rules Committee affirmed the election of Louisiana Democrat Mary Landrieu and voted, 16 to 0, to end an inquiry that had disrupted Senate business. The committee cited evidence of "some irregularities and isolated incidences of fraud" in Landrieu's close November 1996 win over Republican Woody Jenkins--but not enough to justify reversing the outcome.
NEWS
June 26, 1997 | From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Democrats on the Senate committee investigating allegations of voting irregularities in last year's Louisiana Senate election withdrew from the probe. Sen. Wendell H. Ford of Kentucky, ranking Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, said members of his party view the investigation as partisan. The probe stems from complaints of fraud and corruption filed by the GOP loser in the election, Woody Jenkins, who lost to Democrat Mary Landrieu by 5,788 votes.
NEWS
January 7, 1997 | From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Records show dead people voted for Democrat Mary Landrieu for senator, part of a pattern of widespread election law fraud, a political education group charged. A national Democratic group called it a conspiracy theory of "wild accusations." Leaders of the Voting Integrity Project Inc. said they had confirmed some of the allegations made by Republican Woody Jenkins, who lost the Nov. 5 election to Landrieu by 6,000 votes, and urged the Senate and FBI to investigate.