GOP skipping Romero bid for Congress
October 15, 2006
The Shreveport Times
By Ana Radelat

WASHINGTON ""The race for Louisiana's 3rd District congressional seat, once considered among the closest in the nation, has gotten somewhat less competitive due to the GOP's need to shore up candidates in other places.

Earlier this year, the GOP targeted 59-year-old Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, for defeat. Melancon seemed vulnerable because the 3rd District is populated by a large number of swing voters and previously was represented by Republican Billy Tauzin.

The "Cajun vs. Cajun" contest between Melancon and state Sen. Craig Romero, 52, a Republican from New Iberia, is still a race, and both veteran politicians are spending millions.

But the GOP is reeling from unexpected challenges to incumbents in other states and has had to back away from pouring resources into the 3rd District race.

"The National Republican Campaign Committee is first and foremost an incumbent retention committee," said committee spokesman Alex Burgos. "Our top priority is bring back every Republican running for re-election."

Recent polls show support for dozens of Republican candidates is slipping, a result of voter unhappiness over the war in Iraq, the congressional page scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley, and other ethics issues involving members of Congress.

The GOP is fighting back by spending millions on key races "" including money for television advertisements in 33 districts "" but the NRCC has spent only about $24,000 helping Romero. That money was for two polls that showed the Republican trailing Melancon.

Romero had raised $1.3 million for his campaign as of midsummer and still poses a serious challenge to Melancon, who barely edged out Romero in 2004 to qualify for a runoff election against Tauzin's son. Melancon won that election by fewer than 600 votes.

A member of the state senate for 13 years, Romero is a seasoned campaigner who has strong support from the business community. Much of his political money comes from business owners in Lafayette, just outside the 3rd District.

Romero, a former Democrat who switched to the GOP in 1995, also has support from powerful state Republicans, including Sen. David Vitter and Rep. Bobby Jindal, both from Metairie.

From his stronghold in New Iberia, Romero is waging a campaign that focuses more on Melancon's ties to Democratic liberals, including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, of California, than on the lawmakers' position on issues.

But Pearson Cross, a professor of political science at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, doubts that tactic will succeed.

Melancon has voted like a moderate Democrat. According to Congressional Observer Publications, Melancon sided with conservatives about 39 percent of the time this year and with liberals about 61 percent.

"To say he shares values with Pelosi is wrong," Cross said.

A former general manager of the American Sugarcane League, Melancon has fought the GOP on the Central American Free Trade Agreement that is expected to hurt sugar growers. He's also voted against President Bush's budget and other GOP issues, including a bill to require voters to present government-issued identification cards.

But Melancon also has proved he can work with Republicans when it's important to his district. He was one of only two Democrats on a special House committee that looked into the federal response to Hurricane Katrina. Other Democrats boycotted the panel over its Republican majority, which they said would shield the Bush administration from criticism.

To underscore his independence, Melancon has asked for little help from the national Democratic Party.

"He's been running such a good campaign on his own,' said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield. "If we felt any concern, we would be there with resources."

Romero is using skills learned as a salesman in the oil and gas and insurance industries to convince voters he's the best fit for the rural district that stretches from the west bank of the Mississippi River to Breaux Bridge.

Romero and his wife, Pamela, have seven children, and Romero is promoting himself a tax-cutting, family-values conservative who would do a better job than Melancon to help Louisiana restore its wetlands and recover from last year's hurricanes.

Romero said he doesn't know if the GOP's current political troubles will hurt his campaign. He said he's "as concerned as anyone else" about revelations that former Republican Rep. Mark Foley of Florida sent sexually explicit Internet messages to teenage male congressional pages.

The Romero campaign waited until after the Sept. 30 state elections to run television commercials and send mass mailings. The challenger hopes those efforts will cut Melancon's lead and force a runoff.

There are two other candidates in the race, libertarian James Lee Blake Jr. of Franklin and Democrat Olangee "O.J." Breech, of LaPlace, who may help Romero keep Melancon under the 50 percent vote he needs to win next month's elections.

That would give Romero a second chance for victory and likely force both national parties to focus their attention on the race,

But Melancon is optimistic.

"I hope to finish up on Nov. 7," he said.