Changes

===Falling short in the Senate race, 1996===

===Falling short in the Senate race, 1996===

In 1996, Ieyoub announced that he would enter the primary to select a successor to the retiring U.S. Senator [[Bennett Johnston|J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], a popular moderate Democrat from [[Shreveport]] whose service dated back to 1972. Ieyoub faced fourteen other candidates, but only three had a serious level of support. Ieyoub competed for Democratic votes with outgoing state Treasurer [[Mary Landrieu]] of New Orleans. Two Republican candidates were also considered major players, David Duke again and state Representative [[Woody Jenkins]] of Baton Rouge, who had lost Senate races as a Democrat to Johnston in 1978 and to the retired [[Russell B. Long]] in 1980.<ref name=Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns,1996.</ref>

In 1996, Ieyoub announced that he would enter the primary to select a successor to the retiring [[U.S. Senator]] [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]] ]], a popular proclaimed moderate Democrat from [[Shreveport]] whose service dated back to 1972. Ieyoub faced fourteen other candidates, but only three had a serious level of support. Ieyoub competed for Democratic votes with outgoing state Treasurer [[Mary Landrieu]] of New Orleans. Two Republican candidates were also considered major players, David Duke again and state Representative [[Woody Jenkins]] of Baton Rouge, who had lost Senate races as a Democrat to Johnston in 1978 and to the retired [[Russell B. Long]] in 1980.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, 1996.</ref>

Jenkins led the field in the primary with 322,244 votes (26 percent). Landrieu trailed with 264,268 (22 percent). Ieyoub followed with 250,682 (20 percent), and Duke trailed with 141,489 (12 percent). All of the Republican candidates on the ballot received a total of 57 percent of the vote, whereas Landrieu and Ieyoub, the only Democrats, divided the remaining 43 percent. Jenkins hence advanced to the general election against Landrieu, with Ieyoub out of the running by just under 14,000 votes. Jenkins was handicapped, however, by the weakness in Louisiana of the Republican presidential nominee, former Senator [[Bob Dole]] of [[Kansas]]. Dole lost Louisiana to incumbent President [[Bill Clinton]], and while Jenkins ran well ahead of Dole on the Republican ticket, he fell short once again. Landrieu would become Johnston's preferred successor in the Senate.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns,1996.</ref>

Jenkins led the field in the primary with 322,244 votes (26 percent). Landrieu trailed with 264,268 (22 percent). Ieyoub followed with 250,682 (20 percent), and Duke trailed with 141,489 (12 percent). All of the Republican candidates on the ballot received a total of 57 percent of the vote, whereas Landrieu and Ieyoub, the only Democrats, divided the remaining 43 percent. Jenkins hence advanced to the general election against Landrieu, with Ieyoub out of the running by just under 14,000 votes. Jenkins was handicapped, however, by the weakness in Louisiana of the Republican presidential nominee, former Senator [[Bob Dole]] of [[Kansas]]. Dole lost Louisiana to incumbent President [[Bill Clinton]], and while Jenkins ran well ahead of Dole on the Republican ticket, he fell short once again. Landrieu would become Johnston's preferred successor in the Senate.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns,1996.</ref>