Attorney Jason DeCuir, who is coming off an unsuccessful bid for the state Senate, was leading other Democratic primary candidates in the 6th district special election, according to a poll conducted for DeCuir’s campaign by the Florida-based Kitchens Group Jan. 26-27.

The poll of 400 likely Democratic voters gave DeCuir 23 percent, state Rep. Michael Jackson 14 percent, former state official Andy Kopplin 9 percent and state Rep. Don Cazayoux 7 percent. The poll had a 5-point margin of error.

Cazayoux’s low poll numbers are a surprise considering that Capitol Hill Democrats have talked him up as the party’s frontrunner and he’s already received a few key endorsements — including the state AFL-CIO — in the 6th district race.

The special election to replace Rep. Richard Baker (R) is expected to take place at the same time that voters in the 1st district head to the polls to pick a successor to former Rep. Bobby Jindal (R), who was sworn in as governor last month.

Under that schedule, the Democratic and Republican parties will hold their first closed primaries in more than three decades on March 8. If no candidate tops 50 percent, a runoff will be held on April 5 with the general election on May 3. If neither party needs a runoff, the general election would be moved up to April 5.
— John McArdle