BOGALUSA, La., Oct. 20 (UPI) —
The Louisiana Senate race may be decided by a matter of feet.
That is, 36 feet, or the width of Sen. Mary Landrieu’s home in Washington, D.C.
At a campaign stop in Bogalusa, La., on Saturday, Landrieu enlisted the help of a friend to explain how unimpressive her home in Washington, D.C., really is.
In addition to only being a townhome — not a mansion — the house is across the street from a grocery store and next to a cleaners. And yes, “it is 36 feet wide.”
The embattled Democrat’s residency in her home state, or alleged lack thereof, has taken a significant role in the race, one of the most important in determining control of the Senate.
In early September, former Republican candidate Paul Hollis filed a formal challenge to her candidacy based on questions over whether the three-term senator owned a home in Louisiana.
Landrieu is register to vote and pays taxes in Louisiana, but lists her parents’ New Orleans address as her official residence. The house is owned by a trust shared equally between Landrieu’s parents and all nine of their children. Landrieu and her husband also own undeveloped property in the state.
Meanwhile, her opponents claim she is “in reality, a full-time permanent inhabitant of the District of Columbia.”
A state judge dismissed the lawsuit challenging her residency earlier this month.