AP Wire

Dems pouring own money into US Senate race

by Melinda Deslatte, Associated Press

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell put up $250,000 for his Senate bid. New Orleans lawyer Caroline Fayard poured $150,000 of her own money into her campaign account and raised another $193,000.

Campbell, left, and Fayard

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Two Democrats running for Louisiana's U.S. Senate seat are pumping their own cash into the jam-packed race.

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell put up $250,000 for his Senate bid. That's the only money the Democratic state utility regulator is reporting for the latest fundraising quarter, and he had no expenses to list, according to his campaign.

"I've always been personally invested in Louisiana. I've been fighting for our people my whole life. I am glad to say I'm personally invested in this campaign so I can fight for our people in Washington, too," Campbell, who is backed by Gov. John Bel Edwards, said in a statement Friday.

He added: "This is just the beginning of our successful campaign."

New Orleans lawyer Caroline Fayard poured $150,000 of her own money into her campaign account and raised another $193,000, according to her campaign. The Democratic candidate announced she ended the period with $250,000 in the bank, like Campbell.

"Our message is resonating, and we feel very confident that we will have the resources to get our message to the voters this fall," Fayard said in a statement.

The Senate seat is being vacated by Republican David Vitter, who isn't seeking re-election.

Fundraising reports for the quarter ending March 31 were due Friday to the Federal Election Commission. Not all the campaigns have released details yet, and reports weren't yet available online. Since many candidates announced in the most recent quarter, the reports give the first idea of the viability of contenders for the open seat.

Among the Republican candidates for the November election, state Treasurer John Kennedy said he brought in $817,000 from donors since announcing his campaign on Jan. 26 and closed the quarter with $700,000 cash on hand.

"When we see the people of Louisiana putting their financial support behind our campaign, it shows the true depth of their commitment," Kennedy said in a statement.

Retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness announced he's raised $300,000 for the race, but the GOP contender's campaign didn't say how much cash remained in the bank.

"Col. Maness' campaign will have the resources necessary to compete head to head with his opponents," campaign manager Andy Surabian said in a statement that noted Maness had only raised $100,000 over a similar time period during his unsuccessful 2014 Senate bid.

Both men likely remain well behind two of their Republican competitors. In their last campaign finance reports, U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany had $1.7 million, and U.S. Rep. John Fleming reported $2.3 million. Neither man has announced his most recent round of donations.

Several of the candidates are expected to be getting campaign boosts from super PACs. An organization helped to bolster Kennedy's candidacy said it had more than $2.3 million in the bank for the effort at the end of the quarter.

Also in the race are Lafayette-area businessman Josh Pellerin, a Democrat and political newcomer, and Republican former U.S. Rep. Joseph Cao.