BATON ROUGE - Two of Louisiana's past three U.S. senators have won election the year after losing the gubernatorial race.

If U.S. Sen. John Breaux, D-Crowley, decides not to run for a fourth term in 2004, a leading candidate could come from the ranks of this year's losing gubernatorial roster.

Nov. 15 runoff rivals Democrat Kathleen Blanco, 60, of Lafayette and Republican Bobby Jindal, 32, of Baton Rouge have said they are uninterested in running for anything other than governor.

But after finishing a close third in the 1995 gubernatorial race, now-U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said she wasn't interested then, either. Then-President Bill Clinton convinced her to run for the open seat that was being vacated by the retirement of U.S. Sen. J. Bennett Johnston, which Landrieu won in 1996.

Ironically, Johnston, a Shreveport Democrat, won the seat in 1972 - after narrowly losing the 1971 gubernatorial primary to jailed former Gov. Edwin W. Edwards.

Breaux won his U.S. Senate seat in 1986 from his U.S. House seat, defeating Republican former U.S. Rep. Henson Moore of Baton Rouge.

The loser of the Nov. 15 gubernatorial runoff or, since he placed third in the Oct. 4 primary, Democratic Attorney General Richard Ieyoub would have name recognition purchased in the statewide campaign.

"When you have an open Senate seat the year after a governor's race, the losing gubernatorial candidates are well known and, in some cases, supported by almost half the electorate already," LSU political science Chairman Wayne Parent said.

"They have the advantage of name recognition. They don't have to spend money making themselves known and already have supporters and an organization. That is quite a leg up. Therefore, we may look at Kathleen Blanco and Bobby Jindal as strong potential Senate candidates."

Political pollster and strategist Verne Kennedy said "the greatest danger, from Breaux's perspective, would be a narrow loss by Jindal, who then decides he's going to be a candidate for the Senate." Breaux would be under increasing pressure from national Democrats to run for a fourth term, Kennedy said.

"The common knowledge is Breaux would like (U.S. Rep.) Chris John to take his place," Kennedy said. But John, a Crowley Democrat, would have a disadvantage in name recognition if Jindal is the Republican nominee.

U.S. Rep. David Vitter, R-Metairie, also is said to be interested in running if Breaux does not. But both Vitter and John would be on equal footing in lack of statewide name recognition, Kennedy said.

"Right now, the mood of Louisiana voters is such is that they really are looking for new people," Kennedy said.