By JIM BUTLER
Rapides Senators Heather Cloud and Alan Seabaugh raised about $205,000 each in campaign funds last year; Jay Luneau and Glen Womack much less.
Seabaugh, elected senator in 2023 after three terms in the House, is running this year for district attorney in Caddo Parish (Shreveport), a portion of which is in his meandering Senate District 31, a campaign he announced in October. He does not have to relinquish his Senate seat to run.
He collected $205,800 during the year and loaned his campaign an additional $100,000.
The senator, chair of the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee, spent $28,000. Including $123,000 on hand at the year’s start he had $401,000 on Dec. 31, according to his recently filed 2025 report.
Candidates, incumbents or otherwise, are no longer required to list total contributions by Political Action Committees, a legislative decision.
Seabaugh had no Rapides contributions of more than $1,000.
Cloud, District 28 and vice chair of Finance, raised $205,500 and had about $5,000 in prior-year adjustments, taking fund revenue to about $210,500.
She spent about $121,500.
Beginning 2025 with about $105,000 on hand, the fund reached year’s end with a balance of almost $194,000.
Rapides contributors included Shelton Energy Solutions and The Tower of Alexandria, $6,000; Martin Sustainable Resources, $3,500; Petron, $3,000; Michael Crowell, Diamond B Construction and Pan American Engineers, $2,500.
Progressive Merchants of New Iberia contributed $10,000.
Also contributing $6,000 were Allegiance Health Management, Harvey Gulf International Marine, RMB Property Shreveport, Greg Mosing of Broussard, River Birch Avondale, Talitrix of Alpharetta, GA and WSO Family Investments of Lafayette.
Cloud’s largest cumulative expense was $22,400 to David Allen, Woodworth, for campaign consulting.
Womack, District 32, received $96,000 and spent $72,000. Including previous year balance his fund closed the year at about $146,500.
The second-term senator is chair of Finance and vice chair of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.
Contributors included Lifemark PAC Baton Rouge and Reggie McDaniel Jr., Columbia, $5,000; Davita, FedWay, WA, $4,000; AmeriHealth Caritas Services, $3,000; Cornerstone Government Affairs, Washington, DC, $2,500.
The term-limited Luneau, District 29, took in $30,000, including prior-year adjustments. He spent about $59,000 and had a fund balance of about $150,000 at year’s end.
Contributors included Sports Betting Alliance, $5,000, and La. Beverage Association, $2,500.
Expenses included Last Word Strategies consulting and marketing, $10,100; Coastal Conservation Association and Paradise Lake and Land, $4,000 each.