At Fancy Farm, Democrats vie for influence ahead of 2019
FANCY FARM (AP) — At the 138th Fancy Farm picnic, the barbs were sharp and the pressure was intense.
And that was just among Democrats.
Traditional partisan battles between Republicans and Democrats got most of the attention beneath the shaded pavilion in St. Jerome’s Parish on Saturday. But it was the ripples among Democratic leaders jockeying for a spot in the 2019 race for governor that got attention.
Since 2014, Democrats have not had robust primaries for statewide races, with party leaders mostly aligning behind chosen candidates: Alison Lundergan Grimes for Senate in 2014; Jack Conway for governor in 2015; and Jim Gray for Senate in 2016. All lost to Republicans in the general election.
“We have seen the consequence about a handful of party bosses getting in the backroom and largely picking our candidate,” said Adam Edelen, former state auditor who is considering a run for governor in 2019. “We got sold out last time.”
Read more: https://www.state-journal.com/2018/08/05/at-fancy-farm-democrats-vie-for-influence-ahead-of-2019/