Changes

Maness received some 112,000 votes fewer than he had in the 2014 Senate election and had been urged to drop out of the race to support the equally conservative Fleming, who led in six parishes but finished fifth in the voting. Maness and Fleming both pursued positions with the Trump administration in [[Washington, D.C.]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/politics/elections/article_5bc8107e-a6d2-11e6-8011-9f0284eb23bf.html|title=Foster Campbell seen as facing steep climb in U.S. Senate race against John Kennedy|publisher=''Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Tyler Bridges|date=November 9, 2016|accessdate=November 10, 2016}}</ref> but thus far only Fleming has been successful in that regard.

Maness received some 112,000 votes fewer than he had in the 2014 Senate election and had been urged to drop out of the race to support the equally conservative Fleming, who led in six parishes but finished fifth in the voting. Maness and Fleming both pursued positions with the Trump administration in [[Washington, D.C.]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/politics/elections/article_5bc8107e-a6d2-11e6-8011-9f0284eb23bf.html|title=Foster Campbell seen as facing steep climb in U.S. Senate race against John Kennedy|publisher=''Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Tyler Bridges|date=November 9, 2016|accessdate=November 10, 2016}}</ref> but thus far only Fleming has been successful in that regard.

In the last days of the state legislative contest, Maness criticized national Republican leaders for calling upon conservative [[Roy Moore]] to withdraw from the U.S. Senate special election in [[Alabama]] after allegations surfaced that Moore while in his early thirties had engaged in sexual misconduct with at least six female teenagers. Maness contends that Moore should continue his race as no legal charges have been filed in any of the incidents. When David Bellinger, a liberal caller to a radio show, called Maness "an extremist," the candidate told the caller to "blow me and get out of here". Columnist Setephanie Grace said that Maness' crude remark shows that his skin is "too thin" for public office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/stephanie_grace/article_5cde4f20-ca29-11e7-8f99-63fcb9682d53.html|title=Maness telling radio show caller 'blow me' proves his skin too thin for public office|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Stephanie Grace|date=November 15, 2017|accessdate=November 16, 2017}}</ref> The outburst may have cost Maness dearly. He received 3,154 votes (42 percent) to Wright's 4,383 (58 percent). He has hence lost three consecutive political races in his adopted home state.<ref<{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|date=November 18, 2017|accessdate=November 18, 2017}}</ref>

In the last days of the state legislative contest, Maness criticized national Republican leaders for calling upon conservative [[Roy Moore]] to withdraw from the U.S. Senate special election in [[Alabama]] after allegations surfaced that Moore while in his early thirties had engaged in sexual misconduct with at least six female teenagers. Maness contends that Moore should continue his race as no legal charges have been filed in any of the incidents. When David Bellinger, a liberal caller to a radio show, called Maness "an extremist," the candidate told the caller to "blow me and get out of here". Columnist Setephanie Grace said that Maness' crude remark shows that his skin is "too thin" for public office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/stephanie_grace/article_5cde4f20-ca29-11e7-8f99-63fcb9682d53.html|title=Maness telling radio show caller 'blow me' proves his skin too thin for public office|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Stephanie Grace|date=November 15, 2017|accessdate=November 16, 2017}}</ref> The outburst may have cost Maness dearly. He received 3,154 votes (42 percent) to Wright's 4,383 (58 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|date=November 18, 2017|accessdate=November 18, 2017}}</ref> Maness has hence lost three consecutive political races in his adopted home state.

==References==

==References==