Charlie Melancon and David Vitter easily secured victory in the primary elections for U.S. Senate candidacy held Saturday. The two will now compete for Vitter’s seat in the Nov. 2 general election.
Both candidates secured their party nominations. Vitter, the single-term Republican junior senator, captured 88 percent of the vote, beating Chet Traylor with 7 percent and Nick Accardo with five percent, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Melancon, a Democrat who currently serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, earned 71 percent, surpassing Neeson Chauvin with 18 percent and Cary Deaton with 12 percent.
The Libertarian Party held its first Louisiana primary, as well. In that race, Randall Todd Hayes earned 62 percent of the vote, surpassing Anthony Gentile with 38 percent and earning him a spot on the ballot in November.
Under current law, only registered Republicans can vote in that party’s primary — both Democrats and independents can vote in the Democratic primary.
Vitter and Melancon had been expected to easily clear their primary challenges. The two had already begun running attack ads against each other before securing their parties’ nominations.
The fight between Vitter and Melancon has already turned ugly, attracting national attention. Melancon has run ads attacking Vitter’s “serious sin.” Vitter’s phone number was found on a Wasington, D.C. escort service, eliciting national scandal last year.
Melancon has also criticized Vitter for not firing a staffer in charge of women’s issues after the staffer was arrested for assaulting a woman.
Vitter attacked Melancon for “supporting the Obama agenda,” tying him to the president on issues like health care reform and financial bailouts — issues that, like President Barack Obama, are unpopular in Louisiana. Vitter has also accused Melancon of using tax dollars to buy a $50,000 SUV.
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Contact Matthew Albright at [email protected]