GOP State Lawmaker Running For US Senate Seat

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The field of Republican candidates for Louisiana's U.S. Senate race is getting crowded, with a state lawmaker from St. Tammany Parish adding his name to the list.

State Rep. Paul Hollis, a Republican from Mandeville, filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission before the holidays, declaring himself a candidate for the Senate seat.

Hollis, a first-term lawmaker, is one of three announced GOP contenders seeking to keep Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu from a fourth term in office.

The other Republican candidates for the November 2014 election are U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy and retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness, a tea party supporter.

Landrieu is one of several Southern Democrats in Congress considered vulnerable to ouster this year as the region has voted more solidly Republican in recent national elections.