Mixed signals on Louisiana recount

Louisiana Democrat Paul Carmouche’s congressional campaign is offering conflicting messages about whether it plans to seek a recount.

Carmouche spokesman Bert Kaufman has said the candidate would concede when the state certifies Republican John Fleming as the winner, which should take place Thursday, but a local television station reported Tuesday that Carmouche said the national Democratic Party was pressuring him to pursue a recount, and that he owed it to the voters.

{mosads}Kaufman had no clear answers Wednesday morning and said he had yet to check in with the candidate. He said he has not discussed Carmouche’s comments with the candidate.

He declined to say whether the candidate will pursue the recount.

“We’re still not going to say anything until the result’s certified,” Kaufman said.

But he suggested a recount would be difficult.

“The only thing that can be recounted in Louisiana are the paper ballots, which would include provisional ballots and mail-in ballots,” Kaufman said.

Fleming led by 356 votes with all precincts reporting. Provisional ballots have so far pushed that margin down to 350 out of more than 90,000 votes cast, and the Shreveport Times reports that there aren’t enough remaining ballots for Carmouche to overtake Fleming.

Fleming appears set to join Congress after winning the race Saturday. The contest was delayed nearly five weeks because of Hurricane Gustav.

Whoever emerges will replace retiring Rep. Jim McCrery (R).

A spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, Ken Spain, said Carmouche should concede for the sake of his district.

“By continuing to drag out the election process and ignoring the will of 4th district voters, Paul Carmouche has sent a clear message to the people of Louisiana that he is far more concerned about his political career than the economic well-being of the district he claimed to want to represent,” Spain said.

In a statement released later Wednesday, Kaufman said there were “no plans” for a recount.

“There are no plans to call for a recount of either the provisional ballots or the mail-in ballots,” Kaufman said. “Once certification takes place, the campaign will make a final statement, and until then, will have no further comment.”

This story was updated at 12:48 p.m.