12-7-2014
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| Source: Sean Gardner via Getty Images |
Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu lost to Republican congressman Bill Cassidy in the Louisiana Senate runoff election on Saturday, completing the GOP's dominance of the Deep South in the upper chamber. The Associated Press called the race not long after polls closed.
The three-term incumbent, who chairs the influential Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, worked hard in the last days of the campaign to bring African American voters to the polls. She also tried, but failed, to convince enough fellow Democrats in voting to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
Cassidy's election is noteworthy in one respect -- the state of Louisiana has not been represented by two Republican senators concurrently since 1876. His victory brings the total number of Republicans in the Senate up to 54.
Most of Landrieu's problems are not unique. Senate Democrats everywhere had a miserable Election Night in November. President Barack Obama's low approval rating has hurt his fellow party members as Republicans have sought to "nationalize" the election.
Cassidy has hammered at Landrieu's 97 percent support for Obama in the Senate.
“I represent Louisiana. She represents Barack Obama,” Cassidy said on a recent phone call, according to Politico.
Landrieu actually won a plurality of votes in the election's first round in November. But because Louisiana uses an unusual "jungle primary" system, she now faces Cassidy alone -- without tea party Republican Rob Maness drawing off votes on the right.
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