/James Carville providing help for Baria Senate campaign

James Carville providing help for Baria Senate campaign

Carville serves as an informal, unpaid advisor to state Rep. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis), who is running an underdog race to unseat incumbent U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, a Tupelo Republican. Carville is a Louisiana native who has been well-known for his colorful comments on national news programs in recent years. In a response to Mississippi Today, Carville stated that Roger Wicker, a Tupelo Republican, had proven himself to be a toothpick in the Mississippi pine forest of senatorial lumber. David will stand tall in Mississippi.” This obvious connection is because Carville and Mary Matalin, a nationally recognized Republican strategist, have a second home in Baria’s hometown of Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The couple is located in New Orleans, less than an hour from Bay St. Louis. Baria stated that he has met Carville at Bay St. Louis restaurants, and once attended a fund-raiser at his house. However, he was shocked when he expressed an interest in Baria’s campaign. “I believe I received a call from him. Baria stated that he offered to help. “I was flattered that he even knew that I was running,” Baria stated. Baria suggested Carville must have obtained his number through mutual friends. Some of Baria’s Louisiana friends planned to host a fundraiser for him shortly after the phone call. Baria informed his friends of Carville’s officer and asked them to get involved. They reached out to Carville and he agreed to host the fundraiser at his New Orleans residence near Tulane University. Baria stated that he has become more involved since then. “I talk to him almost every day, maybe a few times per week.” Carville is often present at teleconference meetings that Baria hosts with core supporters and advisers. Baria, whose fundraising against Wikcer has been limited, joked that he is happy Carville isn’t charging him as he couldn’t afford to pay him. It has been amazing. Baria, 55-year-old attorney, said that he has never had a mentor in his political life. He is currently in his third term as a member of the state Legislature. “It’s great to have someone like his expertise to give a little advice.” Baria (the state House minority leader) refused to reveal the details of Carville’s advice. This November’s Mississippi Senate election will be the Baria-Wicker. To fill the March post left vacant by Thad Cchran due to health reasons, a special election will also be held. In that election, the interim appointee Sen. Cindy Hyde Smith, a Republican and state Sen. Chris McDaniel (a Republican), former U.S. Secretary for Agriculture Mike Espy (a Democrat) and Tobey Barrtee (a Gautier Democrat) are running. Both incumbents, Wicker, and Hyde Smith, are considered favorites. If no candidate receives a majority vote in the special election, a runoff will take place between the top two vote-getters three weeks later, on Nov. 27, 2017. The Baria-Wicker race will determine who wins the election. Along with Baria-Wicker and Wicker, the Reform Party candidate Shawn O’Hara as well as Libertarian Party candidate Danny Bedwell are also on the ballot.