Woman's 88th birthday party to double as pro-Holden event

Published Sep 7, 2012 at 10:00 am (Updated Sep 7, 2012)

They say politics makes for strange bedfellows. So, apparently, does it make for peculiar birthday party themes. Consider, for instance, the upcoming 88th birthday celebration of community activist Mary Frey Eaton: She's among 88 prominent Baton Rouge women hosting a party at her Bocage home that will double as a birthday celebration and a show of support for Mayor Kip Holden, who's campaigning for a third term. "Please join Lois Holden [the mayor's wife] and 88 women making a difference in our community," the invitation to the Sept. 19 event reads. The invitation goes on to list dozens of well-known Baton Rouge women who are "in support of Mayor Kip Holden," and suggests the party is "in celebration of Ms. Mary's Birthday!" In a mayor's race that many believe will be decided by old-guard Baton Rouge in the heart of the city—the outlying areas of the parish being already clearly divided between Holden and challenger Metro Councilman Mike Walker's camps—the show of support for Holden by so many of the city's prominent female leaders is a significant boost for the incumbent mayor-president, who is the widely acknowledged leader in the race but is still seen as potentially vulnerable. To see the invitation and a complete list of hostesses, click here —Stephanie Riegel