The 2010 Election
In 2007, Vitter's appeared on the client list of the DC Madam prostitution ring, causing an industry of pundits to write off his political future. But, Vitter never saw formal charges leveled against him and a congressional panel cleared him of all wrongdoing. By the time Vitter had to face re-election in 2010, the scandal had faded from voters' minds. He won reelection by almost 20 percentage points. He had faced down token opposition from Tea Partier Chet D. Traylor, a former associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court and had defeated Democrat U.S. Representative Charlie Melancon in the general election. Vitter was greatly helped along by the general dissatisfaction with Obama that characterized the 2010 elections.
The 2012 Election
According to Politico, the foremost online political news outlet in the U.S., Mitt Romney won 57. 8 percent of the popular vote cast in Louisiana in 2012, compared to the 40.6 percent cast for Obama. Since the 1970s when Nixon embarked on a successful solid-South campaign, Louisiana has remained reliably red in subsequent general elections. Louisiana's urban centers and 30.4% African-American population usually support the Democratic Party, but this support is not enough to overcome the rural and evangelical support for the Republican Party.
In line with this narrative, U.S. Representative Bill Cassidy successfully challenged incumbent senator Mary Landrieu in 2014, producing an all-Republican senatorial delegation from Louisiana.
Cycle Fundraising, 2009 -2014, Campaign Committee and Leadership PAC
| Raised: |  $12,204,517 | |
| Spent: | $14,124,253 | |
| Cash on Hand: | $85,718 | |
| Debts: | $0 | |
| Last Report: | Wednesday, December 31, 2014 | |
These numbers show Vitter with a pretty significant war-chest in the run up to the gubernatorial election in 2015. The bulk of his funds come from the Oil and Gas, Health and Law industries. Vitter's financial strength far exceeds that of his closest declared opponent, Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne.
Issues
In a statement made to the National Journal, a credible nonpartisan publication , Vitter said, "I'm running for governor to confront Louisiana's biggest challenges head-on, not avoid them or play politics with them. I'm running to build a brighter future for Louisiana.
One of the biggest issues in the upcoming gubernatorial race is going to be Louisiana's burgeoning budget deficit. According to Melinda Deslatte of the Associated Press, Louisiana currently has a $1.6 billion hole in its budget, a reality that may force Gov. Bobby Jindal to make draconian cuts to higher education funding.
2015 will also be shaped by whether Bobby Jindal makes true on his ambition to run for President of the United States. Democrats could use the election to push a referendum on his performance as governor. If this proves to be the case, Vitter will likely not be terribly affected since he has done a lot in recent times to distance himself from Jindal.
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