WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |Sources: Blanco Will Not Seek Re-Election
Member Center:
Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco will formally announce at 6pm Tuesday that she will NOT seek re-election, numerous political sources tell WAFB 9NEWS.
Blanco was elected Governor of Louisiana in November 2003, becoming the first woman to ever hold the office. Blanco's popularity plummeted after hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated south Louisiana less than halfway through her first term.
Staffers from cabinet-level departments arrived at the Governor's Mansion for a cabinet meeting at 4:30 p.m. where they were briefed on Blanco's decision.
As recently as last week, Blanco said she would be a candidate. "My plan is to continue running," Blanco told reporters last Wednesday. She has already drawn a half-dozen opponents in the fall election, including Republican U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, whom she defeated in a 2003 runoff.
Former U.S. Sen. John Breaux, a Democrat who now is a Washington lobbyist, is expected to announce soon whether he'll join the race.
Reporter: Jim Shannon, WAFB-TV
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
