The Katrina factor: 2005's monster hurricane continues to resonate in this year's elections.

In Mississippi and Louisiana, where officials' handling of Hurricane Katrina is still a sore subject, a plethora of candidates are running for statewide office this year.

Insurance Commissioners

In Mississippi, George Dale, the nation's longest-serving insurance commissioner, lost his Democratic primary race to State Fiscal Officer Gary Anderson. Anderson now faces Republican state Sen. Mike Chaney in the Nov. 6 election.

Dale was a longtime fixture in Mississippi politics--he was first elected in 1975--but his hold on elective office began to unravel after Katrina struck. His final years as a regulator were marked by bitter criticism of his handling of Katrina claims, and by accusations he was too close to the industry he regulated. Plaintiffs attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, who is handling many Katrina-related lawsuits on behalf of policyholders, donated at least $250,000 toward efforts to oust Dale.

On his Web site, Anderson said one of his priorities if elected commissioner will be to create a criminal fraud investigations unit. He also will "create clear lines of division between the industry and the office that regulates it and eliminate opportunities for collusion."

Republican candidate Chaney said in a recent speech that he is running for commissioner because "the insurance situation in Mississippi is still a mess."

He also said, "Your local agents are not to blame for the problem of availability and affordability. They can only sell the insurance products at prices given to them by the insurance companies. These companies need a regulator to police them ... Not only can I do the job--I will do the job to change this and be a regulator."

In Louisiana, incumbent Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon, a Republican, will square off against M.V. "Vinny" Mendoza, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for a House seat in 2004 and again in 2006.

Donelon told reporters he is "ready for all challengers." He is seeking his first full four-year term, after having won a contested special election in 2006 with just 50.1% of the vote. Donelon has said that if he is re-elected he will ask the Legislature to get rid of the association that manages the state's high-risk auto pool and its homeowners insurer of last resort.

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Gubernatorial Races

Louisiana and Mississippi, where the 2005 hurricane season is still a major issue, are two of three states where the governor's seat is up for grabs (the third is Kentucky).

In the Louisiana governor's face, Republican Congressman Bobby Jindal is leading in all of the major polls and is favored to win. Jindal's probable Democratic opponent is state Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell. Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who beat Jindal in the 2004 gubernatorial race, is not running for re-election. Other Democratic candidates include state Sen. Walter Boasso; minister and activist Raymond Brown; and retired hairdresser Mary Volentine Smith.

The state's primary is Oct. 20, and its "runoff" election will take place Nov. 6 if no candidate gets more than 50'% of the vote in the primary.

In the Mississippi gubernatorial race, incumbent Republican Gov. Haley Barbour will face Democratic challenger John Arthur Eaves Jr. Barbour was governor when Katrina struck and was praised for his handling of the storm's aftermath. Barbour is viewed as the favorite in the race; he trounced primary opponent Frederick Jones on Aug. 7 with 93% of his party's vote. His challenger, Eaves, is a lawyer who lost a bid for a House seat in 1996.

Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia are also electing state legislators this year.

* The Situation: Insurance Commissioner elections in Mississippi and Louisiana are important races because of Katrina fallout.

* At Issue: Two fresh faces vie for the Mississippi commissioner seat. In Louisiana, the Republican incumbent--Jim Donelon--is facing Democrat M.V. "Vinny" Mendoza.