2004 United States Senate election in Louisiana

The 2004 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 2, 2004. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator John Breaux decided to retire after three terms in office. Republican U.S. Representative David Vitter won the jungle primary with 51% of the vote and avoided a runoff, becoming the first ever Republican to be popularly elected to the U.S. Senate from Louisiana.

2004 United States Senate election in Louisiana

November 2, 2004

Nominee David Vitter Chris John John Kennedy Party Republican Democratic Democratic Popular vote 943,014 542,150 275,821 Percentage 51.0% 29.3% 14.9%

Parish results Vitter:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% John:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election John Breaux Democratic Elected U.S. Senator David Vitter Republican

Candidates

Democratic Party

• Chris John, U.S. Representative
• John Neely Kennedy, State Treasurer
• Arthur A. Morrell
• Sam Houston Melton, Jr.

Republican Party

• David Vitter, U.S. Representative

Independents

• Richard M. Fontanesi
• R.A. "Skip" Galan

Campaign

Breaux, considered the most popular politician in Louisiana, endorsed Chris John prior to the jungle primary.[1]

During the campaign, Vitter was accused by a member of the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee of having had a lengthy affair with a prostitute in New Orleans. Vitter responded that the allegation was "absolutely and completely untrue" and that it was "just crass Louisiana politics." The allegation later turned out to be true.[2]

Vitter won the Louisiana jungle primary with 51% of the vote, avoiding the need for a runoff. John received 29.2% of the vote and Kennedy (no relation to the Massachusetts Kennedys), took 14.9%.

Vitter won at least a plurality in 56 of Louisiana's 64 parishes. John carried nine parishes, all but two of which (Iberville and Orleans) are part of the House district he represented.

Kennedy changed parties and unsuccessfully ran as Republican in 2008 against Louisiana's senior Senator, Democrat Mary Landrieu, but he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 upon Vitter's retirement.

Vitter was the first Republican in Louisiana to be popularly elected as a U.S. Senator. The previous Republican Senator, William Pitt Kellogg, was chosen by the state legislature in 1876, in accordance with the process used before the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution went into effect in 1914.[3]

Results

Louisiana United States Senate election, 2004

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	David Vitter	943,014	51.03%
	Democratic	Chris John	542,150	29.34%
	Democratic	John Neely Kennedy	275,821	14.92%
	Democratic	Arthur A. Morrell	47,222	2.56%
	Independent	Richard M. Fontanesi	15,097	0.82%
	Independent	R. A. "Skip" Galan	12,463	0.67%
	Democratic	Sam Houston Melton, Jr.	12,289	0.66%
Majority			400,864	21.69%
Turnout			1,848,056
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing

Aftermath

Vitter won reelection in 2010 in spite of allegations surrounding solicitations of prostitutes. He then ran for Governor of Louisiana in 2015, but lost to Democrat John Bel Edwards. After conceding defeat in the gubernatorial election, Vitter announced that he would not run for a third term in 2016. However, the open seat was won by John Neely Kennedy, the second losing Democratic candidate from the 2004 race. In the interim, Kennedy had switched to the Republican Party and unsuccessfully challenged Democratic U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu in 2008.

See also

• 2004 United States Senate election

External links

• Elections Division from the Louisiana Secretary of State

References

1. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2004/key-races/la_senate.html
2. Shailagh Murray, "Senator's Number on 'Madam' Phone List", Washington Post, July 10, 2007
3. Rudin, Ken (November 1, 2004). "Final Call: Kerry Wins Narrow Electoral Margin; GOP Gains in House, Senate". NPR. Retrieved April 30, 2008.