2002 United States Senate election in Louisiana

2002 United States Senate election in Louisiana

← 1996 November 5, 2002 (first round)
December 7, 2002 (runoff)
2008 →
 
Nominee Mary Landrieu Suzanne Haik Terrell
Party Democratic Republican
First round 573,347
46.00%
339,506
27.24%
Runoff 638,654
51.70%
596,642
48.30%

 
Nominee John Cooksey Tony Perkins
Party Republican Republican
First round 171,752
13.78%
119,776
9.61%
Runoff Eliminated Eliminated


U.S. senator before election

Mary Landrieu
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Mary Landrieu
Democratic

The 2002 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu won re-election to a second term, although she did not earn 50% of the vote in the first round and was therefore forced into a runoff election with Republican Suzanne Haik Terrell, the Louisiana Elections Commissioner.

During the runoff, Landrieu was outspent three-to-one by Terrell, who also had prominent Republicans including President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney visit Louisiana to campaign on her behalf. Republicans, confident of victory having gained seats in the elections to the House of Representatives and to the Senate, solidifying control of the former and taking control of the latter, publicly called the election "Operation Icing on the Cake".[1][2] Some Democrats responded by calling their efforts "Operation Wipe that Smirk off of Bush's Face"[3] and dubbed Landrieu's subsequent run-off victory, "Operation Pie in the Face".[4]

  1. ^ Landrieu Faces Terrell for Senate in Louisiana Runoff Race Ms Magazine, December 6, 2002
  2. ^ Reversal of Fortune American Prospect, December 12, 2002
  3. ^ More thoughts on Louisiana victories Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Daily Kos, December 8, 2002
  4. ^ Operation "Pie in the Face": Dems sweep LA Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Daily Kos, December 8, 2002