Vance McAllister wins special Congressional election
(CNN) - A Congressional seat from Louisiana will remain in Republican hands - although that was never in question.
With 99% of the vote in, the state's Secretary of State announced a winner in a special election for Louisiana's 5th district that pitted Republican against Republican.
Follow @politicalticker
With 60% of the vote, Vance McAllister, a 39-year old businessman and political newcomer, defeated state Sen. Neil Riser, who lost with 40%.
The election was a run-off after an October 19 open primary with more than a dozen candidates, where Riser and McAllister finished in first and second place, at 32% and 18%, respectively.
Both men ran on strong anti-liberal, anti-Washington platforms, including vows to repeal Obamacare.
"A self-made businessman and Louisiana native, Vance’s priorities of fiscal responsibility and accountability will be an excellent addition to Louisiana’s delegation here in Washington," said National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Oregon, in a statement.
"I look forward to working with Vance as we fight back against ObamaCare and this Administration’s expensive, big-government, tax and spend policies.”
The seat was vacated by six-term Congressman Rodney Alexander. This summer, Alexander announced he would not run for reelection in 2014, only to bump up his departure and resign effective September 27. He has since joined Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration as the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs.
"It is clear that the people of the Fifth Congressional District rejected the extreme policies of the state and national Democrat party. Once again, the voters of the Fifth Congressional District have decided to send a conservative Republican to represent them in the nation's capitol," said Louisiana Republican Party Chair Roger Villere in a statement.
"Mary Landrieu should take special notice of the results of this election. This race proves that Louisianians want leaders who will shake up the liberal establishment in Washington."
The race gained some considerable media attention when TV star Willie Robertson from "Duck Dynasty" was floated as a potential candidate. He went on to campaign for McAllister, calling him his "good buddy" in an Internet ad.
–CNN's Bryan Koenig, Dan Merica, and Conor Finnegan contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
- Chris Cillizza's winners and losers from tonight's debate February 20, 2020 04:34 am
- Analysis: Mike Bloomberg gets badly roughed up in debate that tests his unconventional campaign February 20, 2020 06:01 am
- Democrats lay into each other on debate stage as candidates face crucial phase in primary fight February 20, 2020 06:19 am
- Fact-checking the Las Vegas Democratic debate February 20, 2020 05:47 am
- Bloomberg says he won't release women from confidentiality agreements when pressed by Warren February 20, 2020 04:35 am
- Warren calls Klobuchar's health care plan 'like a Post-it Note' in fiery debate moment February 20, 2020 06:08 am
Oh, yeah, Louisiana ... that's one of those Red states that receives more federal money than it sends to Washington. BTW, the #1 state that receives more federal money than it send is .... ALASKA.
Yep, that's the Quitta's home state. Kinda funny ... NOT!
Oops. Democrats lost.
woopsydoopsy, a all repub congressional run gets 100 percent of the votes, was any dems running. its a dam shame when these backward people vote against their own interest to keep the man happy and contented, when they scoop their jobs up and tax dollars to serve Chinese nationalist build up their armies against us. i wonder how much of them will cry to the government when their insurance companies give them the shaft again, owh i forgot they will find a way to blame Obama. lesson folks of Louisianan, you have seen your companies you use to work at went over seas during the bush era. are you guys serious to run obamacare out of town, which is the only job creator left in America. what will you do if obamacare disappear tomorrow. will you guys be satisfied when all the obamacare corporate suckers jump shores to china again because you guys destroyed the only job creator this country has left. its amazing what the right winged propaganda machine is doing to the gullible in our county.
Two tea bags,one as bad as the other to represent the braindead people of la and get nothing done.
The tea party are losing big time!! For as long the GOP continue to obstruct or take down Obamacare they will lose! It's smart for McAllister to promote expanding Medicaid as it helped him win against Riser!!
No fool will vote for GOP thugs any more.
Another tea potty wingnut bites the dust. Cuccinelli was the canary in the coalmine.
With these two GOP teaparty idiots, no wonder la is last in everything!!!!
At least each republican candidate promised they would do everything possible to make sure the people of LA will not be insured, and will have to suffer more from government gridlock. Woo hoo!
What this article fails to mention is that McAllister ran on expansion of Medicaid.
Their are clear implications to that victory.
In response to post by King, what jobs are you talking about? The navigators, who we are learning are not screened in anyway, who have access to personal information that most of us would hold close yet the law requires that personal information be given through the navigators.
What about positions that have gone from full time to part time because of ObamaCare? What about the medical staff that has been laid off at many medical facilities because of ObamaCare?
Open your eyes and realize that ObamaCare is a "taker" certainly not a giver of anything positive with very few exceptions. The good does not out weigh the bad
Does he have any teeth?
the jobs i am talking about, is from the massive obamacare expansion and the million of new customers, in this country. this country is a capitalistic country, which means supply and demand, and with a massive demand that obamacare will be creating, businesses will be lining up to get some of the bounty of the obamacare cake, directly and indirectly. i am not even mentioning the tens of millions of people this law will be helping,
@getoverit
"Oops. Democrats lost." ?
McAllister and Riser are both Republicans.