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ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Newt Gingrich, the colorful former House speaker and fiery partisan, formally exited the Republican presidential contest Wednesday and vowed to help Mitt Romney’s bid to defeat President Barack Obama. Ending a campaign that seesawed between implosion and frontrunner and back again, Gingrich threw his support to his one-time rival as expected and promised … Continue reading →
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two advisers to Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich say he will formally end is campaign next Tuesday and will likely to endorse Mitt Romney. Gingrich had pinned his hopes on a surprise showing in Delaware but fell short. He had been hinting in recent days that his campaign was nearing an end. His … Continue reading →
BOSTON (AP) — Mitt Romney has tapped a longtime adviser to begin his search for a vice presidential candidate. Romney said Monday that Beth Myers is in charge of “selection and vetting and analysis.” “I have selected someone who has been a counselor of mine for a number of years, Beth Myers. She was my chief … Continue reading →
With the suspension of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign, Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Tuesday that he will back the frontrunner for the Republican nomination. Jindal released a statement declaring his support of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Romney now is vying with former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, of Texas, … Continue reading →
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney urged his party to shift focus to the general election and said President Barack Obama “gets full credit or blame” for the economy. The former Massachusetts governor previewed a look-ahead line of attack even as voters went to the polls Tuesday in GOP primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland and the District … Continue reading →
Based on the results of Saturday’s Republican presidential primary, the state GOP awarded 10 delegates to Louisiana winner Rick Santorum and five delegates to national front-runner Mitt Romney. The remaining five delegates available for allocation from Saturday’s election results will go the Republican National Convention uncommitted to any candidate, said Jason Doré of the Louisiana Republican Party. … Continue reading →
A headline and article Sunday in some editions of The Advocate said Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum was in line to win all 20 delegates available in Louisiana’s primary. When all precincts were counted, Romney had enough votes to lay claim to some of Louisiana’s delegates. The Advocate regrets the error.
Louisiana Republican voters overwhelmingly backed Rick Santorum to run against President Barack Obama this fall, according to complete but unofficial results released by the Office of Secretary of State late Saturday. With all 4,267 of the state’s precincts reporting, Santorum received 91,305 — or 49 percent — of the total 186,377 votes cast by registered … Continue reading →
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich campaigned on the LSU campus to win a “straw vote” Thursday night by the Baton Rouge Tea Party and the LSU Republican Party. The ballots were not counted by press time, but judging from the number of standing ovations and the number of people waving of placards, Gingrich, who was the only … Continue reading →
Mitt Romney faces another likely Southern setback — this time in Louisiana. Rival Rick Santorum is pushing for a strong showing in Saturday’s primary, driven largely by the conservative religious voters who have propelled him to victory elsewhere. “We think we’re going to do well here. This state, I think of all the states in the … Continue reading →
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (AP) — Mitt Romney took a major stride toward the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday night, routing Rick Santorum in the Illinois primary for his third-straight big-state win and padding his already-formidable lead in the race for convention delegates. “What a night,” Romney exulted to cheering supporters in suburban Chicago. Looking beyond his GOP rivals, he … Continue reading →
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — As they await an Illinois primary vote whose outcome is hardly assured, Mitt Romney is betting his message of economic proficiency will resonate with Republican voters more than Rick Santorum’s sharply honed conservatism. Both men were competing for the 54 delegates at stake Tuesday in Illinois. They were looking to score a victory … Continue reading →
CHICAGO (AP) — His confidence surging, Mitt Romney pointedly ignored his Republican rivals on the eve of Tuesday’s high-stakes primary election in Illinois and turned his fire instead on the Democrat he hopes to oust in the fall. Romney pushed into President Barack Obama’s home territory, assailing Obama’s economic credentials on the Chicago campus where the president … Continue reading →
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney collided with rivals Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich on Tuesday in primaries in Alabama and Mississippi, hotly contested Southern crossroads in the struggle for the Republican presidential nomination. Caucuses in Hawaii were also on the calendar in the race to pick an opponent to President Barack Obama this fall. There were … Continue reading →
Early voting for Louisiana’s presidential preference primary on March 24 begins Saturday and ends March 17, excluding Sunday. The ballot also includes a number of local races and issues, such as the races for Port Allen police chief and 23rd Judicial District judge in Ascension, Assumption and St. James parishes. There are other municipal races … Continue reading →
Four Republican presidential candidates have organized to compete in Louisiana’s presidential preference primary election March 24. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, of Georgia, and Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul are actively vying for the few Republican delegates from Louisiana. But the GOP ballot also will … Continue reading →
WASHINGTON (AP) — On the eve of their Super Tuesday showdown, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum strained for an edge in Ohio on Monday and braced for the 10 primaries and caucuses likely to redefine the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Newt Gingrich, though winless for more than a month, campaigned in Tennessee and issued a … Continue reading →
Deadline has passed. Political candidates who wish The Advocate to publish statements of their candidacies for the March 24 presidential preference primary and municipal primary elections must submit typed statements and color photographs no later than 5 p.m. March 9. Statements must include the office sought, reasons for running, background information on the candidate, and the … Continue reading →
BAKER — Carlon “Frank” Simpson is a candidate for re-election to the City Council from District 3 in the March 24 primary election. Simpson, 62, has been a resident of Baker for 43 years and a resident of District 3 for more than 30 years. A Democrat, she served on the … Continue reading →
SLAUGHTER — Incumbent East Feliciana Parish Police Juror John M. Barnett is seeking re-election from District 1B in the March 24 primary election. Barnett, 44, said he has been honored to serve on the Police Jury and pledged to continue to increase the quality of life for area residents. “The people of our … Continue reading →
PORT ALLEN — Esdron Brown says his leadership abilities would restore the community’s trust in the Police Department if he wins the March 24 election for police chief. Brown, 44, is an eight-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who served during operations Desert Storm and Restore Hope and spent time overseas deployed in … Continue reading →
CLINTON — Incumbent E.L. “Larry” Beauchamp III is a candidate for the District 5 seat on the East Feliciana Parish Police Jury in the March 24 primary election. Beauchamp, 60, is a registered Independent voter and lifelong resident of East Feliciana Parish. He and his wife, the former Rayedel Bychurch, have been married for … Continue reading →
BAKER — Incumbent City Council member Fred O. Russell is a candidate for re-election in District 5 in the March 24 election. Russell, 76, is a Democrat and has been a Baker resident since 1958. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in the Korean War. Russell said he won his council … Continue reading →
BAKER — Pledging to focus on economic development if elected in the March 24 primary election, Leroy Davis is seeking to return to his old job of being mayor of Baker. Davis, a 67-year-old Democrat, served 3½ years as mayor and nine years as a Baker councilman, having been the first African-American candidate elected … Continue reading →
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney scored a hard-won, home state triumph in Michigan and powered to victory in Arizona Tuesday night, gaining a two-state primary sweep over Rick Santorum and precious momentum in the most turbulent Republican presidential race in a generation. Continue reading →
Updated at 6:40 p.m. – WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 4 in 10 voters in Michigan’s Republican presidential primary said Tuesday they supported the federal bailout of the auto industry, according to early results of an exit poll of voters there. Both major candidates in the race opposed the aid. In Arizona, preliminary results of an exit poll showed that voters in … Continue reading →
Wednesday is the deadline to register to vote for the March 24 election. On the ballot in East Baton Rouge Parish are the presidential preference primary, Baker municipal elections, Baker school system property tax, and a number of races for Republican and Democrat state central committee seats and parish executive committee seats. Office hours … Continue reading →
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — Philosophical differences between the top two Republican presidential candidates are becoming starker as Rick Santorum drives harder on religious and social issues that Mitt Romney rarely discusses in detail. In recent days, Santorum has questioned the usefulness of public schools, criticized prenatal testing and said President Barack Obama’s … Continue reading →
WASHINGTON (AP) — A “super” political action committee supporting Republican Mitt Romney for president doubled its average fundraising haul last month, drawing upon repeat donations from wealthy business executives, according to financial reports the campaigns filed Monday with the government. The group, Restore Our Future, raised $6.6 million in January, and had more than $16 million available … Continue reading →
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitt Romney and his under-funded opponents are taking advantage of a weeklong lull in the Republican presidential nomination fight to raise the money needed to carry out Super Tuesday strategies and compete in states beyond. Romney is the wealthiest candidate in the race with a big bank account and a personal fortune he could … Continue reading →
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two senators say the campaign finance system is so broken that a constitutional amendment is needed to rein in runaway spending in elections. Democrats Michael Bennet of Colorado and Tom Udall of New Mexico want to put Congress in charge of setting campaign contribution limits and regulating “super” political action committees. The two proposed the amendment late last year. … Continue reading →
LAS VEGAS (AP) — In a surprise twist, Donald Trump planned to endorse Mitt Romney — not Newt Gingrich — for the Republican presidential nomination Thursday, three Republican officials told The Associated Press. Gingrich’s camp had been so confident of winning the endorsement that it had leaked that Trump would support the former House speaker. Trump was … Continue reading →
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Barreling out of Florida with money and momentum on his side, Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney said Wednesday that the bare-knuckled nomination fight thus far has toughened him up for contests to come. Chief rival Newt Gingrich is regrouping after a significant loss and faces serious disadvantages in the next states to vote. Continue reading →
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Mitt Romney routed Newt Gingrich in the Florida primary Tuesday night, rebounding smartly from an earlier defeat and taking a major step toward the Republican presidential nomination. Despite the one-sided setback, the former House speaker vowed to press on. Romney, talking unity like a nominee, said he was ready "to lead this … Continue reading →
Updated at 5:30 p.m. – WASHINGTON (AP) — American Crossroads, the Republican “super” political committee that plans to play a major role in this year’s presidential campaign, raised more than $51 million along with its nonprofit arm last year, The Associated Press has learned. The figures from Crossroads — the group backed by former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove — are … Continue reading →
GONZALES — Jessie LeBlanc’s legal experience and service as a 23rd Judicial District court administrator and hearing officer make her qualified to be a state district judge, she said. LeBlanc, 42, a Republican lawyer from Gonzales, is seeking the vacant Division D seat in a March 24 special … Continue reading →
DORAL, Fla. (AP) — Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney pitched their ideas for reforming immigration law and pushing democracy into Cuba and across Latin America as the Republican presidential candidates vied for Hispanic votes Friday, entering the final, frenzied weekend before Florida’s primary. “We are not anti-immigrant, we are not anti-immigration” Romney said to applause, suggesting the … Continue reading →
TAMPA, Fla. — Republican presidential contenders Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich clashed repeatedly in heated, personal terms Monday night in a crackling campaign debate, the former Massachusetts governor tagging his rival as a Washington “influence peddler,” only to be accused in turn of spreading falsehoods over many years in politics. Continue reading →
WINNSBORO, S.C. (AP) — Mitt Romney tried doggedly Wednesday to sidestep the political furor he had started a day earlier by revealing he pays federal taxes at a rate of about 15 percent, less than millions of middle-income American families. Facing a new controversy, his campaign confirmed that Romney has money invested in the Cayman Islands but … Continue reading →
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama’s campaign is buying advertising time in six states that will be critical to the president’s re-election effort, a sign that the presidential campaign is entering a new phase. A campaign official says the Obama campaign has bought ad time in Michigan, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Iowa and on national … Continue reading →
Updated at 2:25 p.m. – FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) — Seeking to protect his standing here, Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney on Tuesday assailed challenger Rick Santorum’s record on voting rights for felons, an issue that resonates strongly with conservatives. Santorum accused the former Massachusetts governor of promoting lies about him as the two intensified their dispute from the previous night’s GOP debate. Continue reading →
Updated at 11:30 a.m. – MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Jon Huntsman abandoned his once-promising campaign for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday and endorsed Mitt Romney as the man “best equipped to defeat Barack Obama’” in the fall. The former Utah governor coupled his announcement with an appeal to the remaining contenders to stop attacking one another in television commercials. “At … Continue reading →
State election officials want to make it easier for voters to request absentee ballots. A proposal that would allow electronic applications via the Secretary of State’s website is headed to the 2012 Louisiana Legislature for approval. The idea is included in a proposed omnibus bill that seeks more than three dozen changes to the state laws … Continue reading →
Gov. Bobby Jindal took the oath of office for his second term Monday vowing to blur the divide between social classes that prevents many children from getting a solid education. In a historic setting on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, Jindal cemented his conviction that improving the state’s public schools must be his primary focus over … Continue reading →
Updated at 5:50 p.m. – CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Mitt Romney battled his Republican presidential rivals and high expectations Tuesday in New Hampshire’s primary, first in the nation and well known for surprise endings. Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry shared the ballot, competing for political standing as the GOP calendar turns to South Carolina, where the … Continue reading →