Changes

In 2003, Blossman announced that he would seek to become the Republican [[Governor|gubernatorial]] consensus candidate to succeed term-limited [[Republican Party|GOP]] Governor [[Mike Foster|Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr.]] Blossman called himself a "Reagan conservative." He opposed the since repealed [[Stelly Plan]], which increased property taxes on most middle-class families and was named for its author, former state Representative [[Vic Stelly]] of [[Lake Charles]].<ref name=celebs/>

In 2003, Blossman announced that he would seek to become the Republican [[Governor|gubernatorial]] consensus candidate to succeed term-limited [[Republican Party|GOP]] Governor [[Mike Foster|Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr.]] Blossman called himself a "Reagan conservative." He opposed the since repealed [[Stelly Plan]], which increased property taxes on most middle-class families and was named for its author, former state Representative [[Vic Stelly]] of [[Lake Charles]].<ref name=celebs/>

However, other Republicans wanted to run as well, including former Governor [[David C. Treen]], who in retirement had settled in Blossman's own St. Tammany Parish. Treen, after testing the waters, never filed his papers to make the race. Two other Republicans continued in the race: (1) state Representative Huntington B. "Hunt" Downer, Jr., of Houma in Terrebonne Parish, and (2) [[Bobby Jindal]], an I[[India|Indian]]-American health-care specialist then of Baton Rouge and the favorite of Governor Foster, [[U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]], and much of the Republican leadership. The Republican hopefuls risked dividing their party's base to such an extent that two Democrats, and no Republican candidate, might have been thrust into the [[general election]] under Louisiana's unique nonpartisan blanket [[primary]].

However, other Republicans wanted to run as well, including former Governor [[David C. Treen]], who in retirement had settled in Blossman's own St. Tammany Parish. Treen, after testing the waters, never filed his papers to make the race. Two other Republicans continued in the race: (1) state Representative [[Hunt Downer|Huntington B. "Hunt" Downer, Jr.]], of Houma in Terrebonne Parish, and (2) [[Bobby Jindal]], an I[[India|Indian]]-American health-care specialist then of Baton Rouge and the favorite of Governor Foster, [[U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]], and much of the Republican leadership. The Republican hopefuls risked dividing their party's base to such an extent that two Democrats, and no Republican candidate, might have been thrust into the [[general election]] under Louisiana's unique nonpartisan blanket [[primary]].

Blossman found himself in conflict with outgoing Governor Foster, who lashed out against the public service commissioner on radio. Blossman had run a television commercial which blamed state leaders for not funding a [[DNA]] program that could have led to the earlier arrest of a suspected South Louisiana serial killer. Foster said that he considered that his criticism could aid Blossman's campaign by giving it more exposure, but the governor spoke out and accused Blossman of running an offensive advertisement in bad taste.

Blossman found himself in conflict with outgoing Governor Foster, who lashed out against the public service commissioner on radio. Blossman had run a television commercial which blamed state leaders for not funding a [[DNA]] program that could have led to the earlier arrest of a suspected South Louisiana serial killer. Foster said that he considered that his criticism could aid Blossman's campaign by giving it more exposure, but the governor spoke out and accused Blossman of running an offensive advertisement in bad taste.