Politico Highlights Fleming's Conservative Credentials
Press Release
POLITICO's Kevin Robillard recently shined a spotlight on the race to replace the retiring Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) in Louisiana. Robillard's analysis of the race highlights the fissures between the candidates -- on one side the conservative credentials of Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) and on the other establishment good old boys and liberal Democrats who do not match the Louisiana electorate that is tired of the same old Washington, DC club.
Wild Louisiana Senate race approaches runoff
By Kevin Robillard, POLITICO
" There are fully 24 candidates in the race, but the polls give five a serious chance of making a December runoff: Three Republicans, state Treasurer John Kennedy and Reps. Charles Boustany and John Fleming, and two Democrats, lawyer Caroline Fayard and Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell
The GOP side of things presents a familiar pattern: A tea party-aligned congressman running against two more establishment-oriented candidates. In this case, Fleming, a co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, is running close to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, promising in TV commercials to stand by him.
"I think we've tapped into the same frustration that Donald Trump has," Fleming said in an interview, touting his similar stances on border security and ISIS. He boasts that by forming the Freedom Caucus, he "forced John Boehner to resign" and eagerly notes Boustany was considered a close ally of the former speaker. And Fleming notes that Kennedy has spent most of his political career as a Democrat.
"I think the Democrat and Republican establishments are closer to each other than to outside conservatives like Donald Trump," he said
Kennedy has significantly less cash on hand than his two Republican opponents - he has $1.3 million to Boustany's $2.5 million and Fleming's $2.4 million, as of the last filing "
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