La. Insurance Candidates Raise $1.2M

Editor’s note: This story updates campaign figures for Louisiana insurance commissioner candidates which were posted July 18 on this Web site.

The three candidates running for Louisiana’s Commissioner of Insurance raised more than $1.2 million in contributions and loans since the beginning of the year.

Acting Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon raised the most in contributions 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 $321,580 in cash contributions and $3,339 in in-kind donations. 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 June 22 for the special election scheduled Sept. 30. Cain also filed another report showing $58,505 in contributions after June 22, but an ethics board official said the next campaign finance report isn’t due until Aug. 31.

All three candidates are Republicans. Donelon became acting commissioner in February, when commissioner Robert Wooley retired. Cain is barred from seeking another four-year term in the Senate, and Henke 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.

Cain spent $91,612 and had $371,372 on hand at the beginning of the reporting period and $901,808 at the end – including $300,000 he loaned to his campaign.

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.

Some of Cain’s largest contributors, at $5,000 each, included Alternative Risk Solutions Inc. of Mandeville; Bengal Transportation of Prairieville; Benefit Consultants & Administrators Inc. of Covington; developer Joseph Canizaro of New Orleans; Louisiana Worker’s Compensation Corporation in Baton Rouge; Dawson Farms LLC of Delhi; and Group Insurance Incorporated of Louisiana.

Cain’s expenses included $12,700 to Jamestown Assoc. in New Jersey for advertising, $5,994 for gas for his campaign vehicle, $4,790 for football tickets, $2,862 to Casanova Productions of Mandeville for production of a TV ad, and dollars spent on dry cleaning, rent on his apartment in Baton Rouge and meals at the state Capitol during the legislative session.

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.