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To win his Senate seat, Breaux defeated Republican William Henson Moore, the U.S. Representative from the 6th congressional district, based about the capital city of Baton Rouge. It was a hard-fought campaign, one in which Moore was accused of trying to suppress the [[African-American]] turnout, whose voters overwhelmingly backed the more [[liberal]] candidate. Breaux defeated Moore, 723,586 (52.8 percent) to 646,311 (47.2 percent), a margin of 77,275 ballots. In office, Senator Breaux was considered a centrist Democrat; he founded the [[bipartisan]] Senate Centrist Coalition and was a chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, a group previously associated with President [[Bill Clinton]].

To win his Senate seat, Breaux defeated Republican William Henson Moore, the U.S. Representative from the 6th congressional district, based about the capital city of Baton Rouge. It was a hard-fought campaign, one in which Moore was accused of trying to suppress the [[African-American]] turnout, whose voters overwhelmingly backed the more [[liberal]] candidate. Breaux defeated Moore, 723,586 (52.8 percent) to 646,311 (47.2 percent), a margin of 77,275 ballots. In office, Senator Breaux was considered a centrist Democrat; he founded the [[bipartisan]] Senate Centrist Coalition and was a chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, a group previously associated with President [[Bill Clinton]].

In 1987, as a freshman senator, Breaux voted against confirmation of [[Robert Bork]] to the [[United States Supreme Court]], who was opposed as well by six [[Moderate Republicans]]. In 1991, he voted with the 52-48 majority to confirm [[Clarence Thomas]], an African-American who succeeded another black, [[Thurgood Marshall]], original appointee of President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. When he declined to seek a fourth term in 2004, the seat passed to a Republican, [[David Vitter]], who held it for two terms. In 2017, it was assumed by another Republican, [[John Neeley Kennedy]], the former Louisiana state treasurer.

In 1987, as a freshman senator, Breaux voted against confirmation of [[Robert Bork]] to the [[United States Supreme Court]], who was opposed as well by six [[Moderate Republicans]]. In 1991, he voted with the 52-48 majority to confirm [[Clarence Thomas]], an African-American who succeeded another black, [[Thurgood Marshall]], original appointee of President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. When he declined to seek a fourth term in 2004, the seat passed to a Republican, [[David Vitter]], who held it for two terms. In 2017, it was assumed by another Republican, [[John Neely Kennedy]], the former Louisiana state treasurer.

In 2003, Breaux was influential in the passage of the $400 billion Medicare Prescription Drug Modernization Act.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/26/politics/26CONG.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias:s&pagewanted=2|author=Robert Pear|title=Sweeping Medicare Change Wins Approval in Congress|publisher=''[[New York Times]]''|date=November 26, 2003|accessdate=October 5, 2017}}</ref>

In 2003, Breaux was influential in the passage of the $400 billion Medicare Prescription Drug Modernization Act.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/26/politics/26CONG.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias:s&pagewanted=2|author=Robert Pear|title=Sweeping Medicare Change Wins Approval in Congress|publisher=''[[New York Times]]''|date=November 26, 2003|accessdate=October 5, 2017}}</ref>

Breaux considered leaving lobbying in 2007 to run for governor to succeed the retiring [[Kathleen Blanco]], a fellow Democrat. However, he decided against making the race because he was a voting resident of [[Maryland]] at the time, and the Louisiana Constitution requires that a candidate for governor be a citizen of the state but does not define citizenship in that context. Victory in the gubernatorial race went to Republican [[Bobby Jindal]].

Breaux considered leaving lobbying in 2007 to run for governor to succeed the retiring [[Kathleen Blanco]], a fellow Democrat. However, he decided against making the race because he was a voting resident of [[Maryland]] at the time, and the Louisiana Constitution requires that a candidate for governor be a citizen of the state but does not define citizenship in that context. Victory in the gubernatorial race went to Republican [[Bobby Jindal]].

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