With the victory of Mitch Landrieu as Mayor Of New Orleans yesterday, new attention is being paid to the reelection campaign of Senator Mary Landrieu, his sister.
Their father, Moon Landrieu, was the last white mayor of New Orleans, leaving office in 1978. The fact that his son was able to win over a large portion of the African American population in the city, after 32 years of African American mayors, shows the dominance of this family, which could be called a dynasty, just behind the famous Longs–Huey, Earl and Russell, which influenced Louisiana politics for nearly fifty years.
Mary Landrieu is in a tough race for re-election to a third term, and has been seen as very moderate in her approach to issues, including health care reform, where she has been a critic of the Obama Administration, and has driven a hard bargain to gain advantages for her state in exchange for her vote.
It could be, however, that her brother’s victory is a sign that this race will be one of the most watched by both Republicans and Democrats this fall. And don’t give up on Mary Landrieu winning, as she is a tough politician who knows how to maximize her family’s advantages!