BATON ROUGE, La., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Republican Gov. Mike Foster didn't appear eager Wednesday to challenge Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., despite encouragement this week from GOP supporters to enter the crucial race.
Foster, a 72-year-old, two-term governor, is popular with Louisiana voters and some GOP leaders have been pushing him to enter the Senate race this week because the filing deadline is Friday. He is barred by term limits from seeking a third term.
In his weekly radio and television address recorded Wednesday, Foster said he had not given the Senate any thought until he received the calls and he still believes he should serve out his final term.
"The truth is my feelings are the same as they have always been," he said. "This is my place and I really wouldn't want to go to Washington. I have to think about the big issue, of whether I can really make a difference."
Foster said he was not convinced that he could do any better than the Republican candidates that are expected to file for the Senate this week.
"Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do if you think you can make a big difference. I'm not convinced of that at all," he said. "To answer your question, I haven't changed my mind; I have until Friday to do that. I listen to some good people, good friends, but in the end I am going to do what I think is best, and that's about all that I can do."
Foster was elected twice with more than 60 percent of the vote and has always said he was not interested in going to Washington. He will leave the governor's office in January 2004.
Stephen Perry, a former chief of staff for Foster, told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he would be shocked if his former boss entered the Senate race.
"I think Mike Foster would want to run for the U.S. Senate and move to Washington, D.C., about as much as he'd like to be an astronaut and fly to Jupiter," he said.
Landrieu, who is seeking a second term, has been targeted by Republicans trying to regain control of the Senate.
The Republicans expected to challenge Landrieu in the Nov. 5 election are Congressman John Cooksey of Monroe, state Rep. Tony Perkins of Pride and state Elections Commissioner Suzanne Haik Terrell of New Orleans.
In Louisiana, Republicans and Democrats will run in an open election Nov. 5 for the Senate seat. If a runoff is necessary, it would be held Dec. 7.
