Camp Boustany isn't exactly quashing the speculation.
U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, D-Lafayette
Inside-the-Beltway weekly newspaper National Journal has given some ink to the prospect of Lafayette Republican Congressman Charles Boustany challenging U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, a New Orleans Dem, in Landrieu's re-election bid next year. Moreover, Camp Boustany isn't exactly quashing the speculation. Boustany spokesman Neal Patel tells the mag, "The congressman is committed to providing conservative leadership and getting real results for South Louisiana."
Boustany is coming off a 22-point drubbing of fellow GOP Rep. Jeff Landry of New Iberia in last December's runoff for the new 3rd Congressional District. Landry has also been mentioned as a possible Landrieu contender, but as NJ points out, his stock has fallen since his defeat last year and he burned some bridges with state party leaders along the way.
Other possible contestants include the usual suspects from the Louisiana congressional delegation: U.S. Reps. John Fleming, Bill Cassidy and Steve Scalise.
The speculation comes as a Public Policy Polling survey finds Landrieu beating all GOP opponents including Gov. Bobby Jindal and U.S. Sen. David Vitter by between 3 and 12 points. Although National Journal notes:
Landrieu is vulnerable moving into 2014. She has never topped 52 percent since being elected to the Senate and is currently the only statewide-elected Democrat in Louisiana. Additionally, Landrieu has taken some unpopular votes since her 2008 reelection, including voting in favor of the Affordable Care Act. Without Obama at the top of the ticket this time around to help bring Democrats to the polls, Republicans have their eyes on her seat.
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