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Louisiana: Landry Wins GOP Nomination in 3rd District

After finishing about 200 votes shy of securing the 3rd district GOP nomination in his August primary, attorney Jeff Landry finished the job Saturday.

He will now be heavily favored to flip the southeast Louisiana seat into the Republican column in November.

Landry led former state Speaker Hunt Downer 66 percent to 34 percent with close to 90 percent of the vote counted, according to the Associated Press.

Downer improved on his showing from the first round of the primary in August when he took just 36 percent, despite being well-known and touted during the recruitment phase of the cycle by national party officials.

But the runoff was Landry’s to lose after coming so close in August, and he cruised to victory. He touted his tea party credentials while also racking up support from establishment sources, such as the Louisiana Republican Party.

Landry used the momentum from his showing in August to build up a strong financial advantage during the runoff. Downer’s efforts to paint Landry as a fraud and political opportunist during the monthlong sprint to Saturday’s race proved to be too little, too late.

Landry will face attorney Ravi Sangisetty (D) in the general election. Sangisetty faces an uphill climb, trying in a Republican-friendly cycle to hold a conservative district that gave Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) 61 percent of the vote in the 2008 presidential election. The 3rd district is being vacated by Rep. Charlie Melancon (D), who is running for Senate.

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