Amedee leads fundraisers among St. Mary legislative candidates

If you're looking for a high-dollar legislative race, don't spend a lot of time looking in St. Mary Parish.

State Rep. Beryl Amedee, the Republican from Gray whose House District 51 comes into the Morgan City area, reported funds on hand of less than $53,000 in a report to the Louisiana Board of Ethics that was required 30 days before the Oct. 12 primary.

That total exceeds the combined funds on hand of her opponent and all five candidates in District 50, which covers the rest of St. Mary Parish. One District 50 candidate reports raising and spending no money at all his campaign, and the name of a second doesn't appear in the Board of Ethics online database.

Candidates are required to file campaign finance disclosure forms when their campaigns spend at least $2,500 or receive a contribution of at least $200 from a single source.

Amedee is a first-term incumbent being challenged by Clayton Voisin, a fellow Terrebonne Republican.
In her report, Amedee said she had $52,614 in funds on hand after receiving $41,155 in contributions and spending $8,092 Jan. 1-Sept. 12.

Amedee's biggest reported campaign expediture was $1,500 to Polticeaux Consulting of Baton Rouge. Another $1,000 went to the campaign of her husband, John Amedee, who is running for the Terrebonne Parish Council's District 4.

Individual contributions are limited by law to no more than $2,500 each for the primary and general elections.

Amedee has received the maximum contributions from Associated Branch Pilots of Metarie, Chevron of San Ramon, California, Coastal Energy Services & Supply Inc. of Morgan City, ISC Constructors LLC of Baton Rouge, Major Investments LLC of Morgan City and Jamilah Olivier of Thibodaux.

The other contributors giving $1,000 or more were B.A. Adams of Morgan City, $2,000; Alford & Associates Insurance Services of Morgan City; $1,000; Koch Industries Inc. of Wichita, Kansas, $1,000; Marathon Petroleum of Findlay, Ohio. $1,000; and PHRMA of Washington, D.C., $1,000.

Alone among candidates running in St. Mary Parish this year, Amedee has been able to tap party committee and political action committee donations in a significant way, raising $16,100.

Among those contributors were the BP North America Employee PAC of Houston, $1,350; Crescent River Port River Pilots Local PAC of Belle Chasse, $1,500; the Dental Access & Prevention PAC of Baton Rouge, $1,500; Education PAC of Lafayette, $2,500; Energy Transfer PAC of Austin, Texas, $1,000; ENPAC Louisiana of Baton Rogue, related to Entergy, $1,250; IIABL-PAC of Baton Rouge, related to the banking and insurance industries, $1,000; LA Bankers Association State PAC of Baton Rouge, $1,000; the Louisiana Republican Legislative Delegation, $2,500; the Louisiana Restaurant Association Hospitality PAC, $500; LABI West PAC of Baton Rouge, related to the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, $5,000; and Louisiana Realtors PAC of Baton Rouge, $1,000.

Clayton Voisin, the former Terrebonne Parish Council member who is challenging Amedee for the District 51 seat, filed a report saying he raised no money and made no campaign expenditures July 9-Sept. 2 and had no funds on hand.

In District 50, five candidates are running to see who will succeed state Rep. Sam Jones, who is term-limited after serving 12 years in the House.

Javon Charles of Morgan City reported a single contribution, $500 from Gregory Hamer of Morgan City. Charles reported no spending, leaving him with $500 in cash on hand.

Republican Shawn Canty of Berwick filed a report saying he has raised and spent no money and has no funds on hand. The name of candidate Chet Howard of Franklin does not appear in the Board of Ethics database.

Vincent St. Blanc of Franklin, a member of the state board governing community colleges, reported $15,547 in contributions June 26-Sept. 2 and expenditures of $10,784. He reported funds on hand of $4,247.

St. Blanc's biggest expenditures have been $1,197 to L&H Printing of Morgan City for yard signs, $1,000 to Soulful Productions of Franklin for website construction and $893 to Best Buy in Houma for a laptop.

He received the maximum $2,500 contributions from Friends of Stuart Bishop of Lafayette and Thomas Williams of Baton Rouge.

His next-biggest contribution was from Jeansonne-Kimble of Baton Rouge, $1,000.

St. Blanc reported $2,515 in political committee and PAC contributions,including $500 from Energy Transfer PAC of Austin, Texas; $500 from American Electric Power in Shreveport; $500 from the Adam and Reese PAC of Baton Rouge, and $500 from Atmos Energy Corporation PAC of Dallas, Texas.

St. Blanc had a $515 in-kind contribution from the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association PAC in Baton Rouge.

Raymond Harris Jr. succeeded Jones as Franklin mayor and now hopes to succeed him as state representative for District 50. Harris had $2,098 in funds on hand at the beginning of the period, raised $1,493 July 5-Sept. 10 and spent $2,029, leaving $1,562 in funds on hand.

Most of Harris' spending was $1,000 for radio ads on KQKI.

Harris had one four-figure contribution, $1,000 from the Louisiana Home Builders Association committee in Baton Rouge.