Jeremy Alford: Observations from the campaign trail

According to several election officials, 800 erroneous mail-in ballots covering seven precincts in Shreveport were accidentally sent to voters this month.

The ballots in question included incorrect Shreveport City Council boundaries, an unfortunate byproduct from the recent redistricting process.

Election officials assumed there would problems this fall related to redistricting, but so far the Shreveport snafu is the only known instance.

Redistricting happens every 10 years and follows the U.S. Census count, which was later than usual this go around due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That tardiness by the federal government forced elected officials in Louisiana to race against the clock to get new election lines ready — and, as we all know, mistakes can happen.

It’s unclear exactly where in the local election apparatus the error occurred, but officials on the state level and in Caddo Parish are working to have the ballots returned, shredded and replaced with corrected versions.

If any of the erroneous ballots are voted and returned, the decision to count them or toss them would ultimately be up to Attorney General Jeff Landry, who advises the Board of Election Supervisors on Election Day.

The ballots in question, of course, feature not only City Council races, but also the contests for U.S. senator, Shreveport mayor and much more, like a slate of proposed constitutional amendments.

Should any of these elections come down to a few votes, this little redistricting snafu could become something much larger.

This is exactly why registrars, clerks and other officials have lost so much sleep over local redistricting plans this year.
This past spring, a municipal-level election was held, subsequently voided and then rescheduled because district lines weren’t updated in time.

(That March ballot hosted a city council race in Sulphur that resulted in a 26-vote difference between the two candidates. A legal challenge revealed voters in incorrect districts.)

As we wait to see if there are any other aftershocks from redistricting, here are a few more notes from Louisiana’s long and winding campaign trail…

Is that Boustany?

Photos started circulating this weekend from the Lafayette fundraiser of Holden Hoggatt, a prosecutor who’s running in the 3rd Congressional District against incumbent Congressman Clay Higgins, a fellow Republican.

The photos showed Hoggatt addressing a crowd alongside former Congressman Charles Boustany, who previously held the seat occupied by Higgins.

Those in attendance say Boustany made a strong push for donations to support Hoggatt’s campaign.
Carter backs Chambers

Going against the flow of the establishment corner of the Louisiana Democratic Party, Congressman Troy Carter of New Orleans has endorsed Baton Rouge activist Gary Chambers for the U.S. Senate.

Like everything else on this side of the race, the nod will do very little to change the dynamics of the election itself, especially with incumbent U.S. Sen. John Kennedy shattering fundraising records.

But it does foreshadow more divided times ahead for the party faithful.

While Chambers has been successful in courting progressive voters, fellow Democrat Luke Mixon, a former fighter pilot, enjoys more establishment support from the party.

ABL?

A white oval-shaped sticker with the letters “ABL” recently surfaced on Twitter’s #LaLege feed. The image was a throwback to 2015, when “ABV,” or “Anybody

But Vitter,” appeared on billboards and stickers during the last open race for governor.

That was the cycle Gov. John Bel Edwards bested Vitter, a Republican, in the runoff. For the 2023 race for governor, the Democratic call appears to be “ABL,” or “Anybody But Landry” (as in Attorney General Jeff Landry)

Consultant Trey Ourso of Baton Rouge, who managed Gumbo PAC’s “ABV” campaign in 2015, said an “ABL” effort in 2023 is always a possibility. “I think there will be an appetite for that at an appropriate time,” said Ourso.

Updating the governor's list

There are now 13 names on our watch list of potential gubernatorial candidates who are either flirting with the race or refusing to rule it out completely. The latest entry belongs to West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard, who told USA Today’s Greg Hilburn he’s thinking about running. The other 12 names to watch as we scoot closer to the 2023 cycle include U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, activist Gary Chambers, Congressman Garret Graves, Sen. Sharon Hewitt, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, Attorney General Jeff Landry, attorney Hunter Lundy, Rep. Richard Nelson, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, Treasurer John Schroder, Sen. Gary Smith and U.S. Attorney Donald Washington. So far no one has officially announced.

For more Louisiana political news, visit www. LaPolitics.com or follow Alford on Twitter @ LaPoliticsNow,.