Louisiana state legislative special elections, 2019
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In 2019, seven special elections was called to fill vacant seats in the Louisiana State Legislature. Click here to read more about the special elections.
House special elections called:
- District 12: February 23
- District 17: February 23
- District 18: February 23
- District 26: February 23
- District 27: February 23
- District 47: February 23
- District 62: February 23
How vacancies are filled in Louisiana
If there is a vacancy in the Louisiana State Legislature, the vacant seat must be filled by a special election. An election is required if there are six months or more left in the unexpired term. The presiding officer in the house where the vacancy happened must call for an election no later than 10 days after the vacancy occurred. The presiding officer must determine the dates for the election along with all filing deadlines. The person elected to the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.[1]
See sources: Louisiana Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:601
About the legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature consists of the lower House of Representatives and the upper State Senate. The boxes below show the partisan composition of both chambers directly before and after the November 2015 general election. For the most up-to-date numbers on partisan composition in this legislature, see here (Senate) and here (House).
| Louisiana State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 21, 2015 | After November 21, 2015 | |
| Democratic Party | 13 | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 26 | 25 | |
| Total | 39 | 39 | |
| Louisiana House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2015 | After November 2015 | |
| Democratic Party | 43 | 42 | |
| Republican Party | 58 | 61 | |
| Independent | 2 | 2 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 105 | 105 | |
Special elections
Click [show] to the right of the district name for more information:
February 23, 2019
| Louisiana House of Representatives District 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A special election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 12 was called for February 23, 2019. The candidate filing deadline was January 11, 2019.[2] A general election was scheduled but not required for March 30, 2019. The seat became vacant after Rob Shadoin (R) resigned in September 2018 to work for the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.[3] Note: The general election was canceled after Christopher Turner (R) won the position outright by receiving more than 50% of the votes cast in the primary election.
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation. Nonpartisan primary electionSpecial nonpartisan primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 12Christopher Turner won election outright against Jake Halley in the special primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 12 on February 23, 2019.
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| Louisiana House of Representatives District 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A special election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 17 was called for February 23, 2019. The candidate filing deadline was January 11, 2019.[4] A general election was scheduled for March 30, 2019. The seat became vacant after Marcus Hunter (D) was elected to serve as a judge on the Fourth Judicial District.[5]
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation. General electionSpecial general election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 17Pat Moore defeated Rodney McFarland Sr. in the special general election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 17 on March 30, 2019.
Nonpartisan primary electionSpecial nonpartisan primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 17Pat Moore and Rodney McFarland Sr. defeated Rodney Welch and Anthony Garcia in the special primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 17 on February 23, 2019.
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| Louisiana House of Representatives District 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A special election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 18 was called for February 23, 2019. The candidate filing deadline was January 11, 2019.[6] A general election was scheduled for March 30, 2019. The seat became vacant after Major Thibaut (D) won election to serve as the president of Pointe Coupee Parish. His resignation was effected December 31, 2018.[7]
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation. General electionSpecial general election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 18Jeremy LaCombe defeated Tammi Fabre in the special general election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 18 on March 30, 2019.
Nonpartisan primary electionSpecial nonpartisan primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 18The following candidates ran in the special primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 18 on February 23, 2019.
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| Louisiana House of Representatives District 26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A special election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 26 was called for February 23, 2019. The candidate filing deadline was January 11, 2019.[8] A general election was scheduled but not required for March 30, 2019. The seat became vacant after Jeff Hall (D) was elected as mayor of Alexandria. He was sworn in on December 3, 2018.[9] Note: The general election was canceled after Ed Larvadain III (D) won the position outright by receiving more than 50% of the votes cast in the primary election.
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation. Nonpartisan primary electionSpecial nonpartisan primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 26Ed Larvadain III won election outright against Sandra Franklin in the special primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 26 on February 23, 2019.
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| Louisiana House of Representatives District 27 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A special election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 27 was called for February 23, 2019. The candidate filing deadline was January 11, 2019.[10] A general election was scheduled but not required for March 30, 2019. The seat became vacant after Lowell "Chris" Hazel (R) was elected to serve as a judge to Louisiana's Ninth Judicial District. Note: The general election was canceled after Mike Johnson (R) won the position outright by receiving more than 50% of the votes cast in the primary election.
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation. Nonpartisan primary electionSpecial nonpartisan primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 27Mike Johnson won election outright against Richard Kretzsinger in the special primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 27 on February 23, 2019.
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| Louisiana House of Representatives District 47 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A special election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 47 was called for February 23, 2019. The candidate filing deadline was January 11, 2019.[11] A general election was scheduled but not required for March 30, 2019. The seat became vacant after Bob Hensgens (R) was elected to District 26 of the Louisiana State Senate in a special election on November 6, 2018. Note: The general election was canceled after Ryan Bourriaque (R) won the position outright by receiving more than 50% of the votes cast in the primary election.
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation. Nonpartisan primary electionSpecial nonpartisan primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 47Ryan Bourriaque won election outright against Ruben Rivera Jr. in the special primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 47 on February 23, 2019.
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| Louisiana House of Representatives District 62 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A special election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 62 was called for February 23, 2019. The candidate filing deadline was January 11, 2019.[12] A general election was scheduled for March 30, 2019. The seat became vacant after Kenny Havard (R) won election to serve as president of West Feliciana Parish. He was sworn in on December 10, 2018.[13] Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation. General electionSpecial general election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 62Roy Adams defeated Dennis Aucoin in the special general election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 62 on March 30, 2019.
Nonpartisan primary electionSpecial nonpartisan primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 62Dennis Aucoin and Roy Adams defeated Tarries Greenup, Jonathan Loveall, and Jerel Giarrusso in the special primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 62 on February 23, 2019.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
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Special elections throughout the country
In 2019, 77 state legislative special elections were held in 24 states. Between 2011 and 2018, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.
Breakdown of 2019 special elections
In 2019, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:
- 47 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
- 21 due to a retirement
- 6 due to the death of the incumbent
- 1 due to a resignation related to criminal charges
- 2 due to an election being rerun
Impact of special elections on partisan composition
The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:
- 39 Democratic seats
- 38 Republican seats
The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2019. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections. In elections between 2011 and 2018, either the Democratic Party or Republican Party saw an average net gain of four seats across the country. Between 2017 and 2018, Democrats had a net gain of 19 seats.
Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not the total number of vacant seats.
| Partisan Change from Special Elections (2019) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of Special Election | After Special Election | |
| Democratic Party | 39 | 36 | |
| Republican Party | 38 | 40 | |
| Independent | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 77 | 77 | |
Flipped seats
In 2019, eight seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.
Seats flipped from D to R
- Minnesota State Senate District 11 (February 5)
- Connecticut State Senate District 6 (February 26)
- Connecticut House of Representatives District 99 (February 26)
- Kentucky State Senate District 31 (March 5)
- New Jersey State Senate District 1 (November 5)
Seats flipped from R to D
- Pennsylvania State Senate District 37 (April 2)
- Missouri House of Representatives District 99 (November 5)
Seats flipped from R to I
State profile
- See also: Louisiana and Louisiana elections, 2019
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019.
Presidential voting pattern
- Louisiana voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. senators from Louisiana were Republican.
- Louisiana had one Democratic and five Republican U.S. representatives.
State executives
- Democrats held three and Republicans held nine of Louisiana's 15 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
- Louisiana's governor was Democrat John Bel Edwards.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled the Louisiana State Senate with a 25-14 majority.
- Republicans controlled the Louisiana House of Representatives with a 62-39 majority.
Louisiana Party Control: 1992-2025
Eight years of Democratic trifectas • Seven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
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| Demographic data for Louisiana | ||
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 4,668,960 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 43,204 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 62.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 32.1% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 1.8% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 4.7% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 83.4% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 22.5% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $45,047 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 23.3% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Louisiana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
- State legislative special elections, 2019
- State legislative special elections, 2018
- State legislative special elections, 2017
- State legislative special elections, 2016
- Louisiana State Legislature
Footnotes
- ↑ Louisiana Legislature, "Louisiana Election Code," accessed February 10, 2021 (Statute 18:601, Louisiana Statutes)
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Get Election Information," accessed December 12, 2018
- ↑ News Star, "Rep. Shadoin to resign House seat," September 26, 2018
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Get Election Information," accessed December 12, 2018
- ↑ News Star, "Hunter wins 4th Judicial District Judge seat," November 6, 2018
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Get Election Information," accessed December 12, 2018
- ↑ The Advocate, "Kenny Havard starts his new job as West Feliciana Parish president Monday," December 5, 2018
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Get Election Information," accessed December 12, 2018
- ↑ KALB, "Inauguration Day for Jeff Hall as Mayor of Alexandria," December 3, 2018
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Get Election Information," accessed December 12, 2018
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Get Election Information," accessed December 12, 2018
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Get Election Information," accessed December 12, 2018
- ↑ The Advocate, "Kenny Havard starts his new job as West Feliciana Parish president Monday," December 5, 2018
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "State Representative 62nd Representative District Election 02/23/2019," accessed February 21, 2019
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