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'''David Vitter''' (born 1961) is a [[Republican]] [[Senator]] from [[Louisiana]] — the first member of his party in the [[United States Senate]] since [[Reconstruction]]. Vitter was a [[House of Representatives|Representative]] from [[New Orleans]] from 1999-2004.  He is one of the leading backers of a constitutional amendment to ban [[same sex marriage]].  

'''David Vitter''' (born 1961) is a [[Republican]] departing [[Senator]] from [[Louisiana]] — the first member of his party in the [[United States Senate]] since [[Reconstruction]]. A resident of suburban [[New Orleans]], Vitter was a [[House of Representatives|Representative]] from [[New Orleans]] from 1999 to 2004.  He was one of the leading backers of a constitutional amendment to ban [[same sex marriage]].  

==Career==

==Career==

Vitter started his congressional career in 1999 after winning a special election to replace the disgraced U. S. Representative [[Bob Livingston]] of Louisiana's 1st congressional district, who resigned during the [[Bill Clinton]] [[impeachment]] affair after it was revealed that he was having an extra-marital affair. In October 29, 1998, Vitter penned a strongly worded editorial for the ''New Orleans Times-Picayune'' in which he argued forClinton's impeachment. Vitter said "Some current polls may suggest that people are turned off by the whole Clinton mess and don't care &#8212; because the stock market is good, the Clinton spin machine is even better or other reasons. But that doesn't answer the question of whether President Clinton should be impeached and removed from office because he is morally unfit to govern." <ref>Vitter, David. ''The Times-Picayune'' "IMPEACHMENT: FITNESS, NOT ABILITY" October 29, 1998 METRO; Pg. B7</ref>

Vitter was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1991 to succeed Republican [[David Duke]], who instead ran unsuccessfully for governor of Louisiana.  

== Scandals ==

In July, 2007, it was revealed that Vitter's phone number turned up in the records of Deborah Jeane Palfrey, who ran a Washington, D.C. escort service.  Vitter, who is married and has four children, admitted to "a very serious sin", and stated that he had been forgiven by God and his wife.

 

== Scandal ==

In July 2007, it was revealed that Vitter's phone number turned up in the records of Deborah Jeane Palfrey, who ran a [[Washington, D.C]]. escort service.  Vitter, who is married and has four children, admitted to "a very serious sin", and stated that he had been forgiven by God and his wife.

<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/10/vitter.madam/index.html CNN: Hustler says it revealed senator's link to escort service]</ref>

<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/10/vitter.madam/index.html CNN: Hustler says it revealed senator's link to escort service]</ref>

==Campaign for governor==

==Campaign for governor==

Vitter was handily defeated in a race on November 21, 2015, for governor of Louisiana. He lost to Democratic challenger, State Representative [[John Bel Edwards]], a long-time supporter of [[U.S. President]] [[Barack H. Obama]] and [[Hillary Clinton]]. Edwards consistently led in pre-election polls in the race.

Vitter was handily defeated in a race on November 21, 2015, for governor of Louisiana. He lost to Democratic challenger, State Representative [[John Bel Edwards]], a long-time supporter of [[U.S. President]] [[Barack H. Obama]] and [[Hillary Clinton]]. Edwards consistently led in pre-election polls in the race. Edwards focused his campaign on Vitter's connection with the escort service.

After his defeat for governor, Vitter announced that he would not seek a third term in the Senate in 2016.

After his defeat for governor, Vitter announced that he would not seek a third term in the Senate in 2016. After numerous failed campaigns, David Duke ran to succeed Vitter for the Senate but finished in seventh place among twenty-four candidates with 3 percent of the ballots cast. The sixth-placed candidate, [[Rob Maness]], a retired colonel in the [[United States Air Force]], had backed Vitter in the governor's race through his Gator political action committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|date=November 8, 2016|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=November 10, 2016}}</ref> Vitter will instead be succeeded on January 3, 2017, by either Republican state Treasurer John Neely Kennedy or the Democrat Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell of Bossier Parish. Kennedy and Campbell finished in the top two positions in the primary and will meet in a December 10 runoff contest.

==External links==

==External links==