 | David Duke: Encyclopedia II - David Duke - The state house and campaign for governor
David Duke - The state house and campaign for governor
In 1989, he ran as a Republican for a seat representing Metairie in the Louisiana State House of Representatives. He defeated fellow Republican John Treen, the brother of David Treen, the first post-Reconstruction Republican to be elected Governor of Louisiana, by a margin of 51-49 percent. Duke's victory came despite visits to the district in support of John Treen's candidacy by President George H.W. Bush, former President Ronald Reagan, and other GOP notables.
A year later, he challenged incumbent Democratic Senator J. Bennett Johnston in the open primary as a Republican, receiving 44% of the vote (including more than 60% of the white vote, according to exit polls). Sen. Johnston was able to win re-election (and thus avoid a direct run-off with Duke) by receiving 53% of the vote. The endorsed Republican party candidate, state senator Ben Baggert withdrew from the race two days before the vote. Distressed national Republican officials had anticipated Baggert losing and fragmenting Johnston's support, so funding for Baggert's campaign was halted, pushing Baggert to drop out.[2]
Duke ran for Governor as a Republican Party candidate, despite getting an official reproval (letter expressing the GOP's disdain for Duke's activities) from that party. In the open primary, Duke was second to former governor Edwin Edwards in votes; thus he faced Edwards in a run-off. Duke received 32% of the vote in that initial round, pushing incumbent Republican Buddy Roemer down to third place with 27% of the vote, effectively defeating Roemer's bid for re-election. The election garnered national media attention. While Duke had a small hard-core constituency of devoted admirers, many others in Louisiana voted for him as a "protest vote", in order to register dissatisfaction with Louisiana's mainstream politicians.
Some dismissed the reports of Duke's having ties to neo-Nazi and KKK organizations as simple mud-slinging. Between the primary and the run-off election, Duke enjoyed the peak of his notoriety. White supremacist and far-right organizations from around the country contributed to his campaign fund. At the same time, Duke tried to distance himself from his more extreme views in public appearances while never officially repudiating them. Whenever reporters asked about his neo-Nazi and KKK ties, Duke refused to comment and denounced the reporters for trying to dig up dirt from the past.
Meanwhile, a large anti-Duke coalition threw its support to Edwards. Edwards was largely perceived as corrupt, but the possibility of electing Duke as governor was widely seen as far worse. A popular bumpersticker read "Vote for the Crook. It's Important." Ads and documentaries aired on television showing footage of Duke from earlier years at Klan rallies and acting as a neo-Nazi spokesman. When a reporter asked Edwards what he needed to do to triumph over Duke, Edwards replied with a smile, "Stay alive." Duke lost the election by a wide margin, but claimed "I won my constituency. I won 55% of the white vote." His total share of the run-off popular vote was 39.5%.
In 1998 he published his autobiography My Awakening: A Path to Racial Understanding. In 1999, he again ran as a Republican in a special election for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, and received 19% of the vote, thus failing to make the run-off with his third place showing.
In 2000 the former Republican supported Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan for US President eschewing the Republican Party that had never embraced him or his followers. Buchanan was embarrassed by Duke's support, and declined to discuss it whenever questioned by reporters. The Reform Party had become the party of the disaffected and included, among others, Marxist Lenora Fulani, now a high official of what remains of the Reform Party.
In 2002, Duke traveled to eastern Europe to promote his book.
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