BATON ROUGE (AP) — Treasurer John Kennedy has ended speculation about his political plans, announcing that he's running for re-election this fall.
The long-time state treasurer, a Republican, had considered bids for governor or attorney general in the Oct. 24 election. But with an email to supporters Thursday, Kennedy said he would seek a fifth term as treasurer.
He has one of the heftiest campaign accounts among candidates for statewide office, wrapping up 2014 with just under $3.5 million on hand. That's a strong deterrent for any possible challengers, and Kennedy hasn't had opponents for the last three election cycles.
His decision to run for re-election rather than another statewide job likely will heighten political chatter that Kennedy is eyeing a possible Senate bid if U.S. Sen. David Vitter wins the governor's race.
