GOP Breaks Even in Louisiana House Races

Republicans picked up a congressional seat in southern Louisiana on Saturday, but gave another back to Democrats in a second, much closer runoff election that was also in Cajun country.

A longtime Democratic bastion in Louisiana’s 7th District went to Republican Charles Boustany, a retired heart surgeon. With nearly all precincts reporting, Boustany had 72,223 votes, or 55%, and Democratic state Sen. Willie Landry Mount had 58,968, or 45%.

Farther south, Billy Tauzin III narrowly lost a race to succeed his retiring father, a Republican powerhouse in the House. In the 3rd District, with all precincts reporting, Democrat Charles Melancon had 57,609 votes, and Tauzin trailed him by barely 500 votes, with 57,092.

The last bits of unfinished business from the 2004 congressional election season, both races were marked by heavy negative campaigning and light voter interest.

Vice President Dick Cheney and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, a Democrat, tried to drum up enthusiasm for their candidates, but parish officials said turnout was extremely low, with voters apparently turned off by a relentless barrage of attack ads.

In the 3rd District along Louisiana’s swampy southern coast, Melancon, a former state representative, derided his 31-year-old opponent as a callow fraternity boy who was trying to inherit the seat from his 12-term incumbent father, Rep. W.J. “Billy” Tauzin.

The younger Tauzin returned fire, calling Melancon a liberal who had voted in favor of sex education for small children.

Republicans poured money into the other race, where Boustany portrayed Mount, a state senator, as a tax-happy liberal. Mount, in turn, accused Boustany of favoring tax cuts for the rich and not caring enough about reforming healthcare.

Boustany will fill the seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Christopher John, who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate this year.

Although Republicans have held the 3rd District for nearly a quarter of a century, Republicans had said their best chance was in the traditionally Democratic 7th District.

Democrats had hoped for a big turnout in the districts, which are nearly a quarter black, but they didn’t get it.

“With all the advertisements, I would have thought a lot of people are really, really turned off,” said Bobby Boudreaux, a court clerk in the 3rd District.