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Louisiana Attorney General election, 2015
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Results Key deadlines In the news Polls Campaign finance Past elections Duties Recent news See also External links |
October 24, 2015 |
November 21, 2015 |
Buddy Caldwell  |
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The Louisiana Attorney General election took place on October 24, 2015. Since no candidate received a majority of the votes, a runoff election was held on November 21, 2015, between the top two contenders: incumbent Buddy Caldwell (R), who had first been elected in 2007, and Jeff Landry (R). Landry went on to win the election.[1]
Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Candidates
General election candidates
Buddy Caldwell - Incumbent[2]
Jeff Landry[3] 
Defeated in primary
Geraldine "Geri" Broussard Baloney[4]
Ike Jackson[5][6]
Marty Maley[7]
Declined to run
John Neely Kennedy - Ran for re-election as state treasurer[8][9]
Results
General election
Incumbent Buddy Caldwell was defeated by fellow Republican Jeff Landry in the general election.[10]
| Attorney General of Louisiana, General Election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Buddy Caldwell | 43.7% | 473,869 | |
| Republican | Jeff Landry |
56.3% | 610,433 | |
| Total Votes | 1,084,302 | |||
| Election Results Louisiana Secretary of State. | ||||
Primary election
No candidate received an outright majority in the blanket primary election on October 24, 2015. The two candidates with the most votes, who qualified for the November 21st runoff election, were incumbent Buddy Caldwell (R) and Jeff Landry (R).[11]
| Attorney General of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Buddy Caldwell |
35.4% | 376,187 | |
| Republican | Jeff Landry |
32.7% | 347,441 | |
| Democratic | Geraldine "Geri" Broussard Baloney | 17.6% | 187,332 | |
| Democratic | Ike Jackson | 10.8% | 115,037 | |
| Republican | Marty Maley | 3.6% | 37,787 | |
| Total Votes | 1,063,784 | |||
| Election Results Louisiana Secretary of State. | ||||
Key deadlines
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| September 8, 2015 | First day for candidate filing |
| September 10, 2015 | Last day for candidate filing |
| September 23, 2015 | Last day for voter registration in primary |
| October 10, 2015 | First day for early voting in primary |
| October 17, 2015 | Last day for early voting in primary |
| October 20, 2015 | Last day to request mail ballot in primary |
| October 23, 2015 | Deadline for mailed ballot submission in primary |
| October 24, 2015 | Primary election |
| November 7, 2015 | First day for early voting in general election |
| November 14, 2015 | Last day for early voting in general election |
| November 17, 2015 | Last day to request mail ballot for general election |
| November 20, 2015 | Deadline for mailed ballot submission for general election |
| November 21, 2015 | General election (if necessary)[12] |
Voter registration
For full information about voting in Louisiana, contact the state election agency.
Voters in Louisiana can register to vote by filling out an online application. The online form can be submitted electronically if the applicant uses a driver's license as the required form of identification. Applicants can also print out their online forms and mail them to their parish registrars.[13]
Louisiana also offers myriad locations for in-person registration up to 30 days prior to an election. These locations include parish registrars, offices of the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles or the Louisiana Department of Social Services, food stamp offices and recruitment offices for any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Applicants can use their driver's licenses, birth certificates, utility bills or government-issued documents with their name and current address as valid forms of identification.[13]
Voters must meet the following qualifications to vote in Louisiana:[13]
- U.S. citizenship
- At least 18 years old by the next election
- Resident of Louisiana and parish indicated on registration
- Not under order of imprisonment for felony conviction
- Have not been judged "mentally incompetent" in court
Noteworthy events
Negative campaigning
All of the Democratic and Republican challengers to Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell attacked or were recipients of attacks from Caldwell close to election day. Democrat Ike Jackson said Caldwell "is as dumb as the bottom of my shoe," while Republican Jeff Landry, whose campaign slogan was "stop the Buddy system," said, "This back-slapping, pay-your-friends kind of government needs to be in the past."[14]
Landry said the attorney general's office was bloated and criticized Caldwell for hiring expensive out-of-state attorneys to represent the state. He also accused him of corruption:
| “ |
The fact that I am on the ballot should speak volumes to the grade I would give him. When an incumbent is polling in the numbers that the current attorney general is polling in, he's in for a real difficult race. We're going to end the cronyism, the nepotism and the corruption going on in that office.[16] |
” |
Jackson added that as attorney general, he "would do what's in the best interest of the state instead of the best interests of politics like the current one."[14]
Responding to Jackson and Landry, Caldwell attacked his opponents, including the other two: Democrat Gerald "Geri" Broussard-Baloney and Republican Marty Maley.
| “ |
They're lying because that's all they have to offer; they're just hunting a job. Between the four of them they've only tried one case in court themselves, and it wasn't Landry. It was Maley. None of them have the qualifications for me to hire them as an assistant, much less replace me as attorney general.[16] |
” |
He added,
| “ |
I've been fighting for Louisiana, and winning. That's the huge difference of me and anybody else who may even try to get a hold of this job. Quite frankly, all four of these people are not qualified to be in the office.[16] |
” |
The back-and-forth came just before the commencement of the early voting period. Polling indicated a runoff between Caldwell and Landry.[15][14]
Endorsements
Landry was endorsed by the Republican Party of Louisiana. The endorsement was notable because the party chose to support Landry over Republican incumbent Buddy Caldwell.[17]
Baloney, who had trailed Democratic opponent Jackson in some polls and was left out of others, received an endorsement from the state Democratic Party.[15][18][19]
Polls
Run-off election candidates match-up: Buddy Caldwell (R) vs. Jeff Landry (D)
| Attorney General of Louisiana | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Buddy Caldwell (R) | Jeff Landry (R) | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| JMC Analytics/WVLA October 28-31, 2015 | 34% | 38% | 29% | +/-4 | 600 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Primary election candidates match-up
| Louisiana Attorney General | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Buddy Caldwell (R) | Jeff Landry (R) | Marty Maley (R) | Ike Jackson (D) | Geraldine Broussard Baloney (D) | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||
| MarblePort October 20-21, 2015 | 31.5% | 31.9% | 2.2% | 11.7% | 12.1% | 10.4% | +/-3.0 | 1,464 | |||||||||||
| Triumph Campaigns September 29-30, 2015 | 27% | 24% | 6% | 24% | 0% | 20% | +/-2.4 | 1,047 | |||||||||||
| The Advocate/WWL-TV September 20-23, 2015 | 30% | 20% | 5% | 11% | 5% | 28% | +/-3.46 | 800 | |||||||||||
| Triumph Campaigns July 27-30, 2015 | 31% | 25% | 4% | 22% | 0% | 18% | +/-2.4 | 1,543 | |||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 29.88% | 25.23% | 4.3% | 17.18% | 4.28% | 19.1% | +/-2.82 | 1,213.5 | |||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Hypothetical match-ups
| Louisiana Attorney General | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Buddy Caldwell (R) | Jeff Landry (R) | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| The Hayride/MarblePort August 4-5, 2015 | 30.7% | 29.9% | 39.3% | +/--- | 1,050 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana Attorney General | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Buddy Caldwell (R) | Jeff Landry (R) | Jacque Roy (D) | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||||
| Triumph Campaigns March 6, 2015 | 30% | 20% | 30% | 21% | +/-2.4 | 1,655 | |||||||||||||
| AVERAGES | |||||||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Campaign media
Primary
Ike Jackson
|
|
Campaign finance
Third quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $155,246.87 and spent a total of $156,177.14 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on September 25, 2015.[20]
| Campaign Contributions and Expenditures | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Beginning balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Ending balance |
| Marty Maley |
Louisiana Attorney General | $9,518.25 | $155,246.87 | $156,177.14 | $5,777.98 |
| Grand Total Raised | $155,246.87 | ||||
| Grand Total Spent | $156,177.14 | ||||
Second quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $1,124,566.47 and spent a total of $642,826.58 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on September 25, 2015.[21]
| Campaign Contributions and Expenditures | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Beginning balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Ending balance |
| Jeff Landry |
Louisiana Attorney General | $1,272,250.97 | $618,543.00 | $529,143.79 | $1,356,015.18 |
| Marty Maley |
Louisiana Attorney General | $66,251.91 | $19,774.71 | $75,465.13 | $9,518.25 |
| Buddy Caldwell |
Louisiana Attorney General | $616,889.56 | $486,248.76 | $38,217.66 | $1,058,725.90 |
| Grand Total Raised | $1,124,566.47 | ||||
| Grand Total Spent | $642,826.58 | ||||
First quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $1,220,243.73 and spent a total of $593,789.42 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on May 4, 2015.[22]
| Campaign Contributions and Expenditures | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Beginning balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Ending balance |
| Jeff Landry |
Louisiana Attorney General | $1,011,956.15 | $792,175.85 | $521,881.03 | $1,272,250.97 |
| Marty Maley |
Louisiana Attorney General | $44,590.29 | $59,060.64 | $26,760.91 | $66,251.91 |
| Buddy Caldwell |
Louisiana Attorney General | $301,623.18 | $369,007.24 | $45,147.48 | $616,889.56 |
| Grand Total Raised | $1,220,243.73 | ||||
| Grand Total Spent | $593,789.42 | ||||
Annual report (2014)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $1,305,473.99 and spent a total of $356,235.99 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on February 19, 2015.[23]
| Campaign Contributions and Expenditures | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Beginning balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Ending balance |
| Jeff Landry |
Louisiana Attorney General | $0 | $1,158,338.45 | $144,226.07 | $1,011,956.15 |
| Marty Maley |
Louisiana Attorney General | $7,506.82 | $108,081.54 | $64,040.79 | $44,590.29 |
| Buddy Caldwell |
Louisiana Attorney General | $410,938.31 | $39,054 | $147,969.13 | $301,623.18 |
| Grand Total Raised | $1,305,473.99 | ||||
| Grand Total Spent | $356,235.99 | ||||
Past elections
2011
Caldwell won re-election without opposition in 2011. He switched party affiliation from Democratic to Republican on February 3, 2011, citing his comfort with the conservative policies of the Republican Party.[24]
2007
| Attorney General of Louisiana, Runoff Election, 2007 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Buddy Caldwell |
66.6% | 477,574 | |
| Republican | Royal Alexander | 33.4% | 239,485 | |
| Total Votes | 717,059 | |||
| Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State | ||||
2003
| Attorney General of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2003 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Charles C. Foti, Jr. |
53.5% | 689,179 | |
| Republican | Suzanne Haik Terrell | 46.5% | 597,917 | |
| Total Votes | 1,287,096 | |||
| Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State | ||||
Duties
The official website of the Louisiana attorney general gives its mission as "to protect the ... State of Louisiana by providing superior legal representation, and interpretation, professional and effective law enforcement, and public education programs."[25]
As chief legal officer of the state, the attorney general is also responsible for providing official legal opinions to state agencies, officers, and legislators. He may also advise "local political subdivisions," and their offices.[26]
As noted above, the attorney general of Louisiana, under certain conditions, intervenes in civil or criminal cases in state courts and may represent the state itself in civil or criminal actions.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Louisiana Attorney General Election 2015. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Lens, "Election 2015," accessed October 24, 2015
- ↑ WBRZ, "Former congressman gets in attorney general's race," February 24, 2014
- ↑ Landry for Louisiana, "Latest Info," February 24, 2014
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Candidate Inquiry," accessed September 14, 2015
- ↑ Business Report, "‘LaPolitics': Race for attorney general not slowing," November 14, 2014
- ↑ LaPolitics, "ALFORD: Attorney General’s Race May Get Politically Crowded," March 23, 2015
- ↑ LaPolitics, "ALFORD: Left Letting the Right Prosecute Caldwell," October 6, 2014
- ↑ The Advocate, "Treasurer John Kennedy Looks at AG Race," December 10, 2014
- ↑ The Times-Picayune, "State Treasurer John Kennedy will seek reelection, not run for governor or attorney general," April 9, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Unofficial Election Results," accessed November 21, 2015
- ↑ The Lens, "Election 2015," accessed October 25, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "2015 Elections," accessed December 11, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed December 11, 2014
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 The News Star, "Louisiana attorney general's race turns nasty," October 8, 2015
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Times-Picayune, "Incumbent Buddy Caldwell under attack on two fronts in attorney general's race," October 9, 2015
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Times-Picayune, "In rare move, GOP endorses Jeff Landry for AG over incumbent Buddy Caldwell," July 28, 2015
- ↑ WWL-TV, "WWL-TV/Advocate poll: Lt. gov. & attorney general races likely runoffs," September 29, 2015
- ↑ Bayou Buzz, "Triumph Campaigns: Louisiana Political Survey, September 29-30, 2015," accessed October 16, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Ethics Administration Program, "View Campaign Finance Reports," accessed September 25, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Ethics Administration Program, "View Campaign Finance Reports," accessed September 25, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Ethics Administration Program, "View Campaign Finance Reports," accessed May 4, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Ethics Administration Program, "View Campaign Finance Reports," accessed February 19, 2015
- ↑ New Orleans Times Picayune, "Attorney General Buddy Caldwell switches to Republican," February 3, 2011
- ↑ Office of the Attorney General, State of Louisiana, "About the Office," accessed May 17, 2011
- ↑ Office of the Attorney General, State of Louisiana, "Opinions," accessed May 17, 2011
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