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Sen. Mary Landrieu uses mom's home as Louisiana address

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said she still lives in her childhood home in New Orleans, at least when she is in the city.

By Frances Burns
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is a Washington resident who does not live in her parents' home, listed as her New Orleans voting address, Republicans charge. UPI/A.J. Sisco
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is a Washington resident who does not live in her parents' home, listed as her New Orleans voting address, Republicans charge. UPI/A.J. Sisco | License Photo

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is a Washington resident who does not live in her parents' home, listed as her New Orleans voting address, Republicans charge.

After the Washington Post ran a story about Landrieu's multiple addresses, the Republican National Committee issued a quick news release with the headline: "Landrieu runs for re-election in Louisiana from the confines of her Washington, DC mansion."

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As the daughter of a former New Orleans mayor and the sister of the current one, Landrieu has deep roots in the Big Easy. But she is now seeking a fourth term in the Senate, and she and her husband, Frank Snellings, have a large $2.5 million house in Washington.

Landrieu, 58, grew up in the raised-basement bungalow on Prieur Street where her parents, Moon and Verna, still live. The house is jointly owned by Verna Landrieu and Nineland Partnership, a family corporation -- Landrieu and her siblings have equal shares -- that also owns a house on Lake Pontchartrain in Slidell.

"I have lived at my home on Prieur Street most of my life and I live there now, when not fulfilling my duties in Washington or serving constituents across the state," Landrieu said Thursday.

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Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La., believed to be Landrieu's most significant opponent, owns homes in both Baton Route and Washington. He said Landrieu has "chutzpah" for claiming to live in New Orleans.

"Let's call it what it is: She doesn't live in New Orleans," Cassidy said. "She has an address she uses for voting purposes. . . . She literally no longer lives here. She belongs in Washington, D.C. She just chooses Louisiana to get reelected."

Republicans have a Friday deadline to file a formal challenge. But Landrieu's living arrangements may be more potent as a campaign issue.

In 2012, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., lost a bid for a sixth term amidst reports that he stayed in hotels when he was in Indiana. This year, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, is battling reports that he pays a supporter to provide him with a room when he visits his home state.

In one of the most famous examples, Hillary Clinton had never lived in New York when she decided to run for the Senate there. Clinton and her husband now own a home in Westchester County, and she overcame the carpetbagger label by putting in thousands of miles in the state to meet her future constituents during her first campaign.

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