Last week, Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) was making the rounds, seeking the support of Louisiana’s Sheriffs ahead of the November election. One potential problem: one of his rivals, State Rep. Ernest Wooton, is a former two-term sheriff himself.
Today, in an interview with TPMDC, Wooton suggested there may not be a Sheriff’s endorsement at all this election.
“That’s a win for me, if they’re not going to endorse the incumbent,” Wooton said. “Coming away with an endorsement would be wonderful for me…but coming away with no endorsement,” would be a victory as well.
It would also be a serious rebuke of Vitter. The Louisiana Sheriffs Association endorsement is among the most coveted in the state, and if they stay neutral at this point, it’s almost as much of an indictment of an incumbent as it would be if they endorsed a challenger.
Even if the association stays neutral, individual sheriffs will not, and, in some parishes, that can be decisive.
Wooton is currently serving as a state representative from southern Louisiana. He was originally elected 12 years ago as a Democrat, but became a Republican several years ago after he “got fed up with the Democratic party, because the best they had to offer was the Clintons and Gore and Kerry.” He recently renounced both parties, and entered the Senate race as an independent.
“The two party system, the partisanship is destroying the country,” Wooton said.
Wooton doesn’t think Vitter’s done a great job as Senator. “I’m trying to take his place, does that answer your question,” he said. “I am a conservative independent, so our views often parallel, but I think his effectiveness has been lacking.”
However, he declined to comment on Vitter’s scandals, which have hurt him among establishment conservatives in the state. “His troubles are his troubles. I have mine you have yours,” Wooton said.
He likewise said that his Democratic rival, Congressman Charlie Melancon, has been tied up by the system. “He represents the district I live in. He’s a Democrat and he’s hamstrung right now with his party. It’s affected his effectiveness.”
“If I get one more vote than either one of them, then I am the junior senator from the state of Louisiana.”
