Candidate Information

Link to Campaign Finance website: http://www.ethics.state.la.us/cf.htm

CANDIDATE INFORMATION

Statewide Closed Party Primary Elections for Congressional Districts

Qualifying period will be July 9-11, 2008.
1st closed party primary: September 6, 2008.
2nd closed party primary: October 4, 2008.
General: November 4, 2008.
Candidates qualify in the executive offices of the Secretary of State, 8585 United Plaza Blvd., Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The qualifying fee is $600, plus an additional $300 state central committee fee for Democratic and Republican candidates. Payment must be in the form of cash or by certified or cashier's check on a state or national bank or credit union, United States Postal money order, or money order issued by a state or national bank or credit union.
Click here to download the qualifying form.

Voting in the 2008 Statewide Congressional District Elections

Act 560 of the 2006 Legislative Session (18:1275.1-1279) created the closed party primary system for Congress only – U. S. Senator and U. S. Representative.
Louisiana has five recognized political parties: Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian, and Reform.

The congressional party primaries are closed party primaries but are open to non-affiliated voters unless the party closes their primary. The only political party who has prohibited unaffiliated voters from participating in their primaries is the Republican Party.

The congressional general is open to candidates from recognized political parties who have advanced from their closed party primaries, and candidates from non-recognized political parties or candidates with no party affiliation, who file a notice of candidacy and pay the filing fee or file a nominating petition; all voters may vote for the candidate of their choice, regardless of party affiliation, in the general election.

If a recognized political party has no candidate in the 1^st or 2^nd congressional primaries, voters affiliated with that party may not vote for a congressional candidate in the 1^st or 2^nd congressional primaries; however, they may vote in the congressional general election.

If a recognized political party only has one candidate qualify for a congressional office, there will be no 1^st or 2^nd primary for that party, and the candidate will appear on the congressional general ballot.

If a recognized political party has two candidates qualify for a congressional office, there will be no 2^nd primary for that party and the winner of the 1^st primary will appear on the congressional general ballot.

If a recognized political party has three or more candidates qualify for a congressional office: 1) if a candidate receives a majority vote, there will be no 2^nd primary for that party and that candidate will appear on the congressional general ballot; or, 2) if no candidate receives a majority vote, the candidates with the top two vote totals will advance to the 2^nd party primary, and the winner of that election will appear on the congressional general ballot.

Below is a chart showing how voters will be voting for the five recognized political parties in the statewide congressional closed party primaries.

VOTING IN THE 1^ST AND 2^ND CONGRESSIONAL CLOSED PARTY PRIMARY ELECTIONS

For Democratic Party Candidates

For Republican Party Candidates

For Green Party Candidates

For Libertarian Party Candidates

For Reform Party Candidates

MAY

vote

·   Democratic voters

·   Unaffiliated voters: registered with non-recognized parties or with no political party

Only Republican voters

·   Green voters

·   Unaffiliated voters: registered with non-recognized parties or with no political party

·   Libertarian voters

·   Unaffiliated voters: registered with non-recognized parties or with no political party

·   Reform voters

·   Unaffiliated voters: registered with non-recognized parties or with no political party

May NOT

vote

·   Republican voters

·   Green voters

·   Libertarian voters

·   Reform voters

All other voters

·   Democratic voters

·   Republican voters

·   Libertarian voters

·   Reform voters

·   Democratic voters

·   Republican voters

·   Green voters

·   Reform voters

·   Democratic voters

·   Republican voters

·   Green voters

·   Libertarian voters

Candidate Database - search candidate information

ZIP File of All Candidates - includes name, address, party affiliation data.

Campaign Finance Reports, Lobbyists and Political Action Committees

Campaign Finance Reports - including reports from incumbent statewide elected officials are available for on-line viewing at The Louisiana Ethics Administration Program. In addition, lists of registered lobbyists and political action committees are available.
Federal Elections Commission Web Site - has copies of actual financial disclosure reports filed by House, Senate and Presidential campaigns, Parties and PACs from 1993 to the present.