Louisiana Commissioner Hopefuls Raise More Than $600K

The three candidates running for Louisiana’s Commissioner of Insurance collected more than $600,000 since the beginning of the year.

Acting Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon raised the most of the three, with $526,325 in cash contributions and another $4,558 in in-kind contributions, while state Sen. James David Cain took in $58,505 in contributions and DeAnne Henke reported $11,500 in contributions and an $87,450 loan to herself.

The information is contained in campaign finance disclosures recently filed with the Louisiana Board of Ethics. The period covers Jan. 1 through July 5 for the special election scheduled Sept. 30.

Donelon, a Democrat, became acting commissioner in February, when commissioner Robert Wooley retired. Cain, a Republican, is barred from seeking another four-year term in the Senate, and Henke, also a Republican, is a Lafayette businesswoman.

Donelon reported receiving three $5,000 loans: one from himself; one from Joseph R. McMahon III, a Metairie attorney; and Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee’s Re-election Campaign Fund.

Donelon’s total receipts for the period of Feb. 15 through June 22 was $545,883. He spent $118,063, and reported no money at the beginning of the period and $423,261 at the end. Of the $545,883, $42,500 of Donelon’s contributions came from political action committees.

Cain spent just $1,312 for the period June 23 to July 5 and had $901,807 on-hand at the beginning of the reporting period and $959,000 at the end. Of the $58,505 in contributions, only $500 was from political action committees.

Henke reported $98,950 in total contributions, which included the $87,450 loan, and she spent $93,734. She had no money at the beginning of the period covered and had $5,215 at the end.

Donelon’s largest contributors, at $5,000 each, included Allied Specialty Insurance Agency of Treasure Island, Fla.; Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Louisiana of Baton Rouge; Bollinger Shipyard of Lockport; Central American Life Insurance Company of West Monroe; McGlinchey Stafford of New Orleans; Safeway Insurance Company of Louisiana of Lafayette and Walton Construction of Kansas City, Mo.

Donelon’s largest expenditures were $29,978 to Michael Mann, doing business as Southern Strategies of Morehead City, N.C., for consulting and $27,000 to the Kitchens Group of Maitland, Fla., for polling. His largest in-kind contribution of $1,669 was from Aniel J Gendusa of Covington for reception catering.

Cain’s largest contributors, at $5,000 each, came from Michael Singletary of Opelousas and Eduardo D. Delachia of Sugar Land, Texas. He also got $3,500 from Louisiana Manufactures Housing Association of Baton Rouge.

All of Cain’s expenses for the reported period were less than $500, with the highest being a $415 reimbursement to himself for expenses.

Henke’s largest contributions, at $2,500 each, came from J. D. Morein of Lafayette, James Hayes of Washington, D.C., and Karl Vella of Lafayette. She also received $1,000 from Washington Matters of McLean, Va.

Her largest expenditures were $79,950 to Roy Fletcher of Baton Rouge for campaign consulting and advertising and $6,760 to Lee Fletcher of Monroe for consulting fees and Web site development.

Information from: American Press, www.americanpress.com.