With former Gov. Edwin Edwards more than likely serving as the Democrats' best hope of seizing the 6th Congressional District, attention is turning to whether the state party will get behind the candidate, who was in federal prison just a few years ago.
With former Gov. Edwin Edwards more than likely serving as the Democrats' best hope of seizing the 6th Congressional District, attention is turning to whether the state party will get behind the candidate, who was in federal prison just a few years ago.
"If he asks for a vote of the (Democratic State Central Committee) then we'll see," said a DSCC source of a possible endorsement.
Since he announced for the race, the party seems to have kept Edwards at arm's length. But party officials say that isn't so, pointing to the fact that Edwards has not yet qualified and the field isn't settled.
If he makes the runoff, as recent polling predicts, that would present a different situation, they say.
"I would like the endorsement, but we need to be fair to the other Democrat in the race," Edwards told LaPolitics, referring to Richard Lieberman of LaPlace, who has also announced. "If the party gave me some kind of sign, I might ask for it. I do not want to be presumptuous."
Kirstin Alvanitakis, the party's communications director, said, "Our executive committee approved a procedure to allow our state central committee to endorse federal candidates via mail-in ballot on our last conference call, so we will likely be endorsing in competitive federal races this fall."
For now, Edwards will have to settle for an enviable wave of national media attention. Over the past few weeks, Edwards' bid has been covered in rather lengthy profiles by New York Magazine, National Journal and The Weekly Standard.
In the coming days, he will also be featured in a segment produced by CNN's chief political analyst Gloria Borger.