2004 United States Senate election in Louisiana

The 2004 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 2, 2004. Incumbent Democratic Senator John Breaux decided to retire after three terms in office. Republican Representative David Vitter won the open seat with more than 50% of the primary vote. He thus avoided a runoff that would have otherwise been held on December 4, became the first Louisiana Republican elected to the U.S. Senate since 1876, and the first ever to be popularly elected. This election was the first time ever that a Republican won a full term to this Senate seat in Louisiana.

Democratic Party

 * Chris John, U.S. Representative
 * John Neely Kennedy, State Treasurer, nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008 and future Republican U.S. Senator for this seat
 * Arthur A. Morrell
 * Sam Houston Melton Jr.

Republican Party

 * David Vitter, U.S. Representative

Independents

 * Richard M. Fontanesi
 * R.A. "Skip" Galan

Campaign
Breaux, considered the most popular politician in Louisiana, endorsed Chris John prior to the jungle primary.

During the campaign, Vitter was accused by a member of the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee of having had a lengthy affair with a prostitute in New Orleans. Vitter responded that the allegation was "absolutely and completely untrue" and that it was "just crass Louisiana politics." The allegation later turned out to be true.

Vitter won the Louisiana jungle primary with 51% of the vote, avoiding the need for a runoff. John received 29.2% of the vote and Kennedy (no relation to the Massachusetts Kennedys), took 14.9%.

Vitter won at least a plurality in 55 of Louisiana's 64 parishes. John carried nine parishes, all but two of which (Iberville and Orleans) are part of the House district he represented.

Kennedy changed parties and unsuccessfully ran as Republican in 2008 against Louisiana's senior Senator, Democrat Mary Landrieu, but he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016 upon Vitter's retirement.

Vitter was the first Republican in Louisiana to be popularly elected as a U.S. Senator. The previous Republican Senator, William Pitt Kellogg, was chosen by the state legislature in 1876, in accordance with the process used before the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution went into effect in 1914.

Aftermath
Vitter won re-election in 2010 despite allegations of him soliciting prostitutes. He then unsuccessfully ran Governor of Louisiana in 2015. While conceding defeat in that election, Vitter announced that he would not seek a third Senate term in 2016. The open seat was won by John Neely Kennedy, the second losing Democratic candidate from the 2004 race. In the interim, Kennedy switched parties in 2007 and unsuccessfully ran for Louisiana's other Senate seat in 2008 as a Republican.