After being re-elected to Louisiana state Treasurer as a Democrat in 2003 and running unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2004 (David Vitter won that race,) John Kennedy switched his affiliation to Republican in August before winning re-election as Treasurer in November. The speculation at the time was that he was readying a run for senate against Mary Landrieu in 2008. Today, Kennedy confirmed those suspicions. From the statement on his extremely lame website (h/t TPM):

In a little less than a year, Louisianians will go to the polls to elect our next United States Senator. In doing so, our people will decide who they want to represent our state and our values in Washington, D.C.

I want you to be the first to know that today I will take the first steps and file the necessary paperwork to run for the United States Senate in 2008. I plan to officially kick off the campaign early next year. Please know that Becky and I made this decision carefully, after much thought, prayer and discussion.

Over the next few months, I will lay the groundwork of support for an aggressive campaign that will focus on a frank discussion of the issues and how I will help move Louisiana forward working in tandem with our new reform leadership in Baton Rouge.

Landrieu is widely considered the most endangered Democrat running for re-election next year (National Journal ranks the seat as the 4th most likely to change hands and CQ's 2008 Electoral Map lists it as "Leans Dem," the weakest of all Dem seats up next year.) Now, Kennedy's confirmed entrance into the race will only reinforce that, especially in light of new Zogby poll numbers (1,001 Adults, 10/10-14, MOE +/-3.2%) out of Louisiana today (which, Kennedy commissioned, it should be noted,) featured on Kennedy's extremely lame website:

Landrieu (D-Inc.): 38
Kennedy (R): 45
Undecided: 15

I am skeptical of these numbers and I'll withhold judgment on the state of the race once we get a poll of likely or even registered voters. As Jonathan recently noted, the environment in the wake of the recent state-wide elections even with the post-Katrina demographic shifts, are quite favorable to Landrieu.

Landrieu has a lot of money in the bank -- more than $3.3 million as of September 30, to be precise. What's more, her numbers don't look half bad. According to The Times-Picayune back in April, polling from January "showed [Landrieu's] approval rating at 61 percent and other figures showing that 67 percent favored having two senators of differing parties." (Louisiana is currently represented by one Democrat and one Republican in the Senate.) A February report from the paper noted, "Landrieu's team was putting out the word that in a new statewide survey, her approval ratings are at an impressive 64 percent."

Now that Kennedy is in, I suspect this race will be among those more frequently polled and I bet we'll see Landrieu in much better position than this 'wishful thinking' poll indicates. That said, I have no illusions that this will be an easy seat to hold onto. It never is.