Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District and 1st Public Service Commission District are not exactly identical in terms of territory, but they’re close. Both correspond largely to suburban New Orleans, and the voter profile of the two districts is very similar.

So the fact that Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip who just won re-election on Nov. 4 with a massive 78 percent of the vote, is now appearing in a new TV ad on behalf of Eric Skrmetta, the conservative incumbent in PSC District 1…

The spot will air on New Orleans TV stations for the duration, with a relatively sizable buy. It ought to be a difference-maker in the race, though Skrmetta had a lot of ground to make up after polling just 37 percent in the primary with an electorate largely disengaged and bamboozled by the fact his opponent, Forest Wright, is running as a Republican after spending his entire life as a Democrat until this April.