Dardenne: Keep Vitter in Washington

Republican Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, desperately scrambling to jump Democrat state Rep. John Bel Edwards to make a runoff with front-running Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter in the Louisiana governor's race, courted the Ouachita Parish Women's Republican Club Monday.

"We don't want Washington answers and Washington-style politics leading our state," Dardenne said. "Those of you who admire Sen. Vitter and like his work in Washington should vote to keep him there."

Former state Rep. Kay Katz, R-Monroe, president of the organization and a former leader in the Republican National Women, said the Ouachita club is the largest in the state.

Gannett Louisiana polled each of the women before the meeting and asked who they would vote for if the elections were held today — Dardenne, Vitter, Republican Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle or Edwards.

Dardenne finished with 17 votes followed by Vitter with 16, although Vitter is far in front in statewide polls and Dardenne and Angelle have been third or fourth behind Edwards. Neither Angelle nor Edwards, the only Democrat, received any votes. Eleven women said they were undecided.

Katz, a former Republican National Committeewoman for Louisiana, said she believes Louisiana Republicans "have never had such good people running for (the governor's) office. You finally have a choice," she told members, "and you won't have to hold your nose."

Dardenne also took what have become customary candidate shots at current Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal, who is often criticized for extensive out-of-state travel while he's running for president.

"The people I want to impress are the ones in Columbia, Louisiana, not Columbia, South Carolina," said Dardenne, adding he won't "govern Louisiana by cell phone" like Jindal.

On some key issues, Dardenne said he would call a special session in January to repair the state budget, keep the Common Core compromise standards in public education, consider accepting the Medicaid expansion and focus the BP settlement money on coastal restoration.

Dardenne also said he would work to lower the top tax rates for businesses and individuals and eliminate many tax credits, exemptions and exclusions.

"I want us to have a serious conversation about what we want the state to look like 25 to 50 years from now," he said.

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