For months, GOP Sen. David Vitter has been the front-runner in this year’s race to succeed term-limited governor/Republican presidential candidate Bobby Jindal. But even though Louisiana has completed its transformation to a Republican state, Vitter’s election is not a foregone conclusion. The senator would be most vulnerable in a November runoff with another Republican who could attract the senator’s GOP critics and Democrats who wouldn’t have a candidate in the race. Stuart Rothenberg explored this dynamic in his September column, “Does David Vitter Have Something to Worry About?” And a couple recent polls show Vitter struggling to consolidate GOP support in a runoff against Democrat John Bel Edwards. The senator and his allied super PAC still have a fundraising advantage in the race, but a safe rating overstates the senator’s standing in the race. We’re changing the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report /Roll Call rating to Republican Favored . Related Does David Vitter Have Something to Worry About? Roll Call Race Ratings Map: Ratings for Every House and Senate Race in 2016 Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call in your inbox or on your iPhone.
