William Jefferson Loses Louisiana Congressional Seat

NEW ORLEANS — Voters in Louisiana ousted indicted Democratic Rep. William Jefferson on Saturday, instead electing a Republican attorney who will be the first Vietnamese-American in Congress.

Unofficial results showed Anh "Joseph" Cao denying Jefferson a 10th term. Republicans made an aggressive push to take the seat from the 61-year-old incumbent, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, laundering money and misusing his congressional office.

Cao, 41, won a predominantly black and heavily Democratic district that covers most of New Orleans.

A barrage of election-day automated telephone calls on Cao's behalf flooded the district, including a pitch from the national Republican Party.

New Orleans voters had long been loyal to Jefferson, re-electing him in 2006 even after news of the bribery scandal broke. Late-night TV comics made him the butt of jokes after federal agents said they found $90,000 in alleged bribe money hidden in his freezer.

"People are innocent until proven guilty," said Faye Leggins, 54, an educator and Democrat who moved back to the city six months ago and still has fresh memories of Hurricane Katrina. She voted for Jefferson on Saturday. "He has enough seniority, so he can do a lot to redevelop this city."

But Republicans argued the scandal had cost Jefferson his clout in Congress. Election Day brought excitement to the state's usually low-key Vietnamese-American community, said David Nguyen, 45, a store manager and Cao supporter.

"The Vietnamese aren't much into politics," he said.

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Turnout appeared light in the district, where two-thirds of voters are Democrats and 11 percent are Republicans. More than 60 percent are black.

Though he was the underdog, Cao received endorsements from some Democrat and green-conscious groups as well as the area's Vietnamese-American community. Cao came to the United States as a child after the fall of Saigon in 1975 and went on to earn degrees in philosophy, physics and law.

The election was one of two in Louisiana postponed because of Hurricane Gustav.

In western Louisiana's 4th Congressional District, Republican physician John Fleming defeated Democratic district attorney Paul Carmouche in a very close race to replace U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery, a 10-term Republican who is retiring. Fleming had 48 percent of the vote to Carmouche's 47 percent. Two minor candidates split the remaining vote.

Both candidates had help from national heavyweights. President-elect Barack Obama recorded a radio ad for Carmouche, while Vice President Dick Cheney helped Fleming with fundraising.

The national GOP also backed Cao, an immigration lawyer, with a barrage of advertising portraying Jefferson as corrupt.

Prosecutors contend Jefferson used his influence as chairman of the congressional Africa Investment and Trade Caucus to broker deals in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and other African nations on behalf of those who bribed him.

The 2007 indictment claims Jefferson received more than $500,000 in bribes and demanded millions more between 2000 and 2005, including the $90,000 found in the freezer of his Washington home.

No trial date has been set for Jefferson, who became Louisiana's first black congressman since Reconstruction when he took office in 1991.

He also faced the Green Party candidate Malik Rahim and Libertarian Gregory W. Kahn in the race.

Comments

[JayJonson]

Jefferson was a disgrace. The vote was a repudiation of him. Cao will be a one-term Congressman no matter what he does. The second Congressional District is very racialized. Blacks are not going to vote for a white or Asian candidate no matter how impressive. The next Congressman will be a Black democrat. Hopefully, one who has no connection with the crooked Jefferson clan, most of whom are likely to be serving prison sentences by then.

[captainindustry]

I keep reading "the seat will go back to a dem"
Here is Cao's action agenda
Action Agenda
Promote economic development and create better jobs
Redevelop the Port of New Orleans
Reduce wasteful spending in Washington
Ensure our children receive an excellent education
Preserve our wetlands and expand coastal restoration for hurricane protection

WHY IS THIS MAN A REPUBLICAN?? Instead of re-electing a dem next time, just get this man to step under our huge tent.

He and President Elect Obama ((GOSH I love the sound of that!)) should be BFF!

That stands for Best Friends Forever.

[pvo]

Here's my explanation (through the lenses of a former Vietnamese political refugee) to answer your confusion about the Vietnamese American's political affiliation:

Many Vietnamese immigrants have registered as Republicans because they still have lingering resentment (if not outright hatred) for communists who had been responsible for numerous atrocities in their homeland and somehow think that the democrats are generally associated with their enemies (being "leftist"). Many still have relatives in Vietnam who have either died or suffered unimaginable atrocities (especially writers/in­tellectual­s voicing their opinions against the self-serving regime). In 2008, those Vietnamese dissents are still being thrown into jails or mental institutions without trials or simply "disappear" in the night, if they dared say anything against the communist party.....­Most Vietnamese immigrants who engage in "politics" concern themselves with problems in Vietnam and thus tend to lean toward those who are politically "right-winged".

As second generation Vietnamese Americans start to engage and become sufficiently informed in politics to venture out of the cocoon of their close-knit community, they'd probably come to realize that the Democrats are, generally, more tolerant toward culture or ethnic differences. The pride in their heritage, and remote (if any) sentiment about the VN war, coupled with the inevitable identity crisis of growing up bilingual/ bi-cultural, would most likely make them move, politically, toward the left far more than their parents.

I hope this helps clarify a bit why Mr. Cao's a "Republican"?

[captainindustry]

Thanks for the incredible update. Again, I turn to HUFFPO, and am not disappointed. Thanks again

[SailFree]

Historical, perhaps! Is this the FIRST time Democratic voters have thrown out a corrupt Democrat?

[AprilPA]

This guy deserved to lose. The Dems don't need dishonest people like him in their party. In 2 years, this seat will go back to a Dem.

[WritusMaximus]

It may depend what happens at the national level/in Washington DC. More bailouts and deepening financial crisis still can play a major role, and at that time against the dems.

[Jacqattack]

Jefferson was dishonest and does not deserve a seat in the House. I hope the newly elected congressman will do well for the people and doesnt just bow to the pressure of the right wing agenda. Does anyone know anything about him?

[MathIsTruth]

The Democratic party certainly is far better off without the likes of Jefferson being a Congressman with a "D" next to his name.

And fortunately this happened at a time when the Dems have a huge majority in the House. Hopefully, in a couple of years, the seat will go back to an honest Democrat, and all will be well with the world.

[ticklethewire]

Even with all the baggage I was surprised to see Rep. Jefferson lose. Allan Lengel, editor of ticklethewire.com, federal law enforcement news

[strangerinthenight]

His constituents gave him 47%, out of 89% African American. The rest stayed home, because they were confident that a Vietnamese American would be easily defeated. They were wrong.

Cao margin of victory is only 3%, delivered by the white faction, and a very small Vietnamese American living in the Second Congressional District.

[SailFree]

Actually, Cao is the given name, like John or Betty. Vietnamese names, as in some other countries, are backward.

[rollingdivision]

He can room with Scooter and Charlie!

[motoGpifupleez]

Good riddance indeed to Mr Cold Hard Cash. I'm fine with an honest Republican in order to clean out any corrupt Democrats. A clean party is a winning party.

[Rictracee]

thats good he lost.. and it also shows that blacks don't vote because of race. when someone is in the wrong they vote them out.

[Vantunow]

Well said! Good Statement by the voters in his district.

Sends a message, we need more than skin color!

Lets start with Character!

How great is this Country!

They went with a Vietnamese guy!!!

God Bless America!

[GeorgeKaplan]

As a very liberal Democrat I think this is a very good thing. Jefferson is only going to be convicted in the end anyway. The seat will be Democratic in another two years when Cao runs again. This is a very big UPSET!

"People are innocent until proven guilty," but that does not mean they deserve to be re-elected.

[apoyo]

In the interest of diversity, this is a good sign. The people need representation that depicts all the faces of America. Only then do we truly realize the dream that is America.

[strangerinthenight]

Thank you.

[dnddays]

Not to begrudge a possible historic victory for Vietnamese­-Americans­, but had voters elected Helena Moreno in the first place the seat would not be going to a Republican.

[SunshineDaydream]

something must have happened that i missed, bc what i remember of the jefferson story is that he was given $100k by the fbi to bribe some officials in africa(?) - but he decided he couldn't go through with it, so the fbi publicly "busted" him with "money in his freezer," but the money came from the fbi!!

i also remember that this happened around the same time conyers was leading the investigation into the firing of the us attorneys, and foxnews kept putting on john coyers's picture instead of jefferson's when reporting this story.

[WritusMaximus]

So he kept the cold, hard cash instead of giving it back. Yeah, makes sense.

[jayjola]

Yay, New Orleans. New Orleans is definitely a blue parish (county) , but we expect great things from our new "minority, lawyer, unifying, community organizer" Congressman. (Why does that description sound familiar---YES!!!)

[CheshireCat2]

Hopefully a wave of the future for Repubs.

[jayjola]

Whoa.

Was my comment misinterpreted? I definitely would have preferred a Democrat to have won-but unfortunately that could not happen, due to the circumstances. Given Mr. Cao's personal background, I am hopeful that he will be an agent for change in representing ALL of his constituents here.