Change to Louisiana primary elections to help Bill Cassidy doesn't materialize

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The State Capitol was abuzz with talk Sunday that the Louisiana Senate could try to make a last-minute change to a campaign law to help U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy win reelection next year.

The idea was to eliminate the second primary under the closed primary system in federal elections that will begin next year. With the change, a candidate could win the primary outright with a plurality and would not have to get over 50% of the vote.

Political analysts believe that Cassidy could run first in the primary with a multi-candidate field that would split the conservative vote but would have trouble defeating another Republican head-to-head in the second primary.

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Two legislators said Cassidy called to discuss the matter with them.

In the end, the Senate made no such attempt Sunday, but the behind-the-scenes discussions provided more evidence of the intense interest in whether Cassidy can overcome Republican opponents next year to win a third term.

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