Qualifying for the Nov. 4 election is Aug. 20-22. So things are getting more intense among incumbents, declared candidates, and potential candidates as the political season moves toward the “put up or shut up” dates.

The U.S. Senate race, of course, is the big topic of discussion these days as Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu seeks a fourth six-year term. She has three Republican opponents – U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy of Baton Rouge, state Rep. Paul Hollis of Covington, and retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness of Madisonville.

So far, several statewide polls have been conducted on the race, which both parties consider crucial to their mid-term election success. In most polls, Landrieu holds a sizable lead because the anti-Landrieu vote is split between three GOP candidates with Cassidy being the anointed one for his party. However, when Landrieu and Cassidy are matched up head-to-head in a runoff scenario, the race appears to be a dead heat.

I have never been a partisan person, sometimes voting for Democrats and sometimes for Republicans at the local, state and national levels. I am not wedded to any political party. I try to assess the candidates and determine which one is most qualified and can do the best job in the office they are seeking.

I don’t care what letter Landrieu has behind her name, I plan to vote to re-elect her. It takes many years to gain seniority and a committee chairmanship in the U.S. Senate where seniority is still the name of the game. And what chairmanship does she have? The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which is the best of all worlds for Louisiana. Plus, she is chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, another key position for the Pelican State.

I know how important seniority is and how beneficial it is to the state. I remember when the Defense Department decided to close England Air Force Base in Alexandria when I was chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jerry Huckaby. We begged and pleaded with the Secretary of Defense not to close the base. But the bottom line was the Louisiana delegation, at that time, did not have the clout and control of federal purse strings to keep it open. Just think how important Landrieu’s positions will be if Barksdale Air Force Base or Fort Polk winds up on a future base-closing list. It could happen. Be a smart voter on this important race and not a one-issue or partisan voter. And don’t believe everything you read from conservative columnists, who toe the Republican Party line.

At the local level, the constant chatter is about the Shreveport mayor’s race, which will also be on the Nov. 4 ballot. Ollie Tyler, the former superintendent of Caddo Parish Schools, announced she is running for the city’s top job. Her entry into the race has some local politicos surprised and befuddled. She has never held elective office and has very little knowledge about the workings of the city. Nevertheless, she is still considered a viable candidate.

She joins three other declared candidates – state Reps. Patrick Williams and Roy Burrell, both African-American Democrats, and evangelist Melvin Slack Jr. Williams and Burrell have been tied up in the Louisiana Legislature, which adjourns June 2, so expect their campaigns to move into full swing once the session is over.

Also expected to run is Caddo Commissioner Michael Williams. He told me recently he is definitely in the race. No one is sure about two other potential candidates. Former Mayor Keith Hightower, a Democrat, could be the only white candidate on the ballot if he decides to run. He said he is conducting a poll to determine whether he can win with the current demographics of the city. The current population of the city is 199,368. Of that total, 40 percent are white, 55 percent are black, and 5 percent are other races. Community activist Maxine Sarpy, a black Democrat, who served briefly years ago on the city council, said she is giving some consideration to running as well. There will likely be others.

The city council race to watch is in District B. A win by a black candidate would give Shreveport its first majority-black council. It is currently 4-3 white/black. Incumbent Jeff Everson, a white Democrat, has two black opponents – Lynn Cawthorne and Craig Lee. While voter registration figures are not yet available, the new district lines drawn as a result of the 2010 Census show that of the total number of residents in District B, 36 percent are white, 58 percent are black, and 6 percent are other races. It promises to be a tough race for Everson. In 2010, he won the seat by finishing first in the primary with 43 percent of the vote over Sheva Sims with 40 percent, Deborah Allen with 11 percent and Craig Lee with 6 percent. Everson defeated Sims by a 52-48 percent margin in the runoff.