The Latest: Pence rallies for Senate contender in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Latest on Louisiana’s U.S. Senate race (all times local):

2 p.m.

Vice-President-elect Mike Pence urged Louisiana voters to back Republican John Kennedy for Louisiana’s open U.S. Senate seat, saying Kennedy would be a strong partner to advance Donald Trump’s agenda in Congress.

Pence headlined a New Orleans rally and a fundraiser for Kennedy on Saturday, the final day of early voting for the Dec. 10 election.

Kennedy, Louisiana’s state treasurer, faces Democrat Foster Campbell, a state utility regulator, in the runoff for the nation’s last undecided Senate seat.

Pence said he and the president-elect support Kennedy “100 per cent,” describing a Kennedy win as putting “an exclamation point” on GOP victories this year.

Trump and Pence travelled to Louisiana in August to visit with Baton Rouge-area flood victims, a trip Pence recalled as “inspiring to see the resilience of Louisiana.”

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8:30 a.m.

One U.S. Senate seat remains undecided from the fall elections, in Louisiana.

Republican state Treasurer John Kennedy is the front-runner in the Dec. 10 runoff against Democrat Foster Campbell, a state utility regulator.

The race has drawn donations from desperate Democrats around the country seeking a victory in their otherwise dismal election cycle. They’re supporting Campbell even though he’s pro-gun, anti-abortion and deemed such a long shot that he’s getting little assistance from the national Democratic Party.

Kennedy is banking on the popularity of Donald Trump in Louisiana to help solidify his path to victory, which is seen as all but certain barring some last-minute bombshell.

Republicans will have a slim 52-48 Senate majority next year if they hold the Louisiana seat, open because incumbent David Vitter didn’t seek re-election.