Changes

Blossman spent more than $1 million in his race, much of that amount consisting of his own loans to his campaign. By late summer, Blossman had $613,000 on hand. He spent $552,000 in the second quarter of 2003, including the repayment of $285,000 in loans to himself. He raised $168,000 from others in the third quarter, $512,000 since January 1, 2003.<ref name=celebs/>

Blossman spent more than $1 million in his race, much of that amount consisting of his own loans to his campaign. By late summer, Blossman had $613,000 on hand. He spent $552,000 in the second quarter of 2003, including the repayment of $285,000 in loans to himself. He raised $168,000 from others in the third quarter, $512,000 since January 1, 2003.<ref name=celebs/>

When Blossman failed to make sufficient traction in the polls, he announced that former Republican Congressman Clyde Cecil Holloway (1943-2016) of Forest Hill in Rapides Parish would join him on an unofficial "ticket," with Holloway seeking the lieutenant governor position. Candidates had stopped forming such combinations after the 1971 Democratic primaries. Holloway was widely identified as a social [[conservative]] by his voting record. He had represented the heavily Democratic and since defunct 8th congressional district from 1987 to 1993. Holloway had left Congress four years before Blossman joined the PSC. In his bid for lieutenant governor, Holloway stressed the need to halt the loss of manufacturing jobs from Louisiana and to boost the low-wage base in many parishes, a goal not yet fulfilled.

When Blossman failed to make sufficient traction in the polls, he announced that Republican former [[U.S. Representative]] [[Clyde Holloway]] of Forest Hill in Rapides Parish would join him on an unofficial "ticket," with Holloway seeking the lieutenant governor position. Candidates had stopped forming such combinations after the 1971 Democratic primaries. Holloway was widely identified as a social [[conservative]] by his voting record. He had represented the heavily Democratic and since defunct 8th congressional district from 1987 to 1993. Holloway had left Congress four years before Blossman joined the PSC. In his bid for lieutenant governor, Holloway stressed the need to halt the loss of manufacturing jobs from Louisiana and to boost the low-wage base in many parishes, a goal not yet fulfilled.

Blossman continued to sink in the opinion polls, was denied a seat in a candidate debate forum, withdrew from the gubernatorial race, and endorsed Downer, who contested Jindal for a potential but not assured GOP slot in the general election. Earlier, Blossman had called Downer "a liberal Democrat," but he then said that only Downer, among the Republican candidates, could actually win the general election. Blossman said that Jindal, who is seven years younger than Blossman, was at that time too young and inexperienced to prevail in the governor's race.

Blossman continued to sink in the opinion polls, was denied a seat in a candidate debate forum, withdrew from the gubernatorial race, and endorsed Downer, who contested Jindal for a potential but not assured GOP slot in the general election. Earlier, Blossman had called Downer "a liberal Democrat," but he then said that only Downer, among the Republican candidates, could actually win the general election. Blossman said that Jindal, who is seven years younger than Blossman, was at that time too young and inexperienced to prevail in the governor's race.