2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Louisiana

The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Louisiana were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 and elected the six U.S. representatives from the state of Louisiana, one from each of the state's six congressional districts, a loss of one seat following reapportionment according to the results of the 2010 census. The elections coincided with elections for other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election. A jungle primary took place on November 6, with a runoff, if necessary, scheduled for December 8.[1]

2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Louisiana

← 2010November 6, 2012 (2012-11-06)2014 →

All 6 Louisiana seats to the United States House of Representatives
 Majority partyMinority partyThird party
 
PartyRepublicanDemocraticLibertarian
Last election610
Seats won510
Seat changeDecrease 1SteadySteady
Popular vote1,143,027359,190124,572
Percentage67.02%21.06%7.30%
SwingIncrease 1.82%Decrease 8.98%

Overview

United States House of Representatives elections in Louisiana, 2012[2][3]
PartyVotesPercentageSeats+/–
Republican1,143,02767.02%5-1
Democratic359,19021.06%1
Libertarian124,5727.30%0
Independents78,8284.62%0
Totals1,705,617100.00%6

Redistricting

During the redistricting process, U.S. Representative Charles Boustany advocated a plan which, rather than drawing his home and that of Landry into the same district (as the bill which became law did), would instead make fellow Republican representative John Fleming's district potentially more competitive. Fleming later said of Boustany, "I don't feel like I can trust anything he says. Everything he told me, he reneged on."[4]

Due to difficulties reaching a consensus among the congressional delegation, U.S. Representatives Rodney Alexander, Bill Cassidy, Fleming, Jeff Landry and Steve Scalise wrote to Governor Bobby Jindal requesting that the state legislature postpone the redistricting process for a year.[5]

Nonetheless, a redistricting bill was passed by the Louisiana House of Representatives and Louisiana Senate, and was signed into law by Jindal on April 14, 2011.[6]

Louisiana is among the states which, according to a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act enacted upon states with a history of denial of voting rights, must submit legislative maps to the U.S. Department of Justice for approval in order to ascertain that the purpose and effects of the map are not discriminatory.[6]

District 1

2012 Louisiana's 1st congressional district election

← 2010
2014 →
 
CandidateSteve ScaliseM. V. "Vinny" MendozaGary King
PartyRepublicanDemocraticRepublican
Popular vote193,49661,70324,844
Percentage66.6%21.3%8.5%

Parish results
Scalise:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. Representative before election

Steve Scalise
Republican

Elected U.S. Representative

Steve Scalise
Republican

Republican Steve Scalise, who has represented the 1st district since 2008, is running for re-election.[7][8] In redistricting the 1st district has been extended from Metairie towards the Gulf Coast, including areas from the old 3rd district.[9] and includes the cities of Slidell and Houma, and the two parishes hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina, St. Bernard and Plaquemines.[7] It comprises 373,405 White Americans registered voters, 46,542 African Americans and 30,126 people of other ethnicities. Of its voters, 167,824 are affiliated to the Democratic Party, 167,336 to the Republican Party, and 114,913 to neither party.[6]

Candidates

Republican Party

  • Gary King
  • Steve Scalise, incumbent U.S. Representative

Democratic Party

  • M.V. "Vinny" Mendoza, organic farmer, Air Force veteran, and perennial candidate

Independents

  • David "Turk" Turknett
  • Arden Wells, candidate for this seat in 2010[10][11]

General election

Results

Louisiana's 1st congressional district, 2012 [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanSteve Scalise (incumbent) 193,496 66.6
DemocraticM. V. "Vinny" Mendoza61,70321.3
RepublicanGary King24,8448.5
IndependentDavid "Turk" Turknett6,0792.1
IndependentArden Wells4,2881.5
Total votes290,410 100.0
Republican hold

District 2

2012 Louisiana's 2nd congressional district election

← 2010
2014 →
 
CandidateCedric RichmondGary LandrieuDwayne Bailey
PartyDemocraticDemocraticRepublican
Popular vote158,50171,91638,801
Percentage55.2%25.0%13.5%

Parish results
Richmond:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Landrieu:      30–40%      40–50%
Bailey:      30–40%

U.S. Representative before election

Cedric Richmond
Democratic

Elected U.S. Representative

Cedric Richmond
Democratic

Democrat Cedric Richmond, who has represented the 2nd district since January 2011, is running for re-election.[13] In redistricting, the district was extended in redistricting to include areas of the old 3rd and 6th district, along the Mississippi River to include Baton Rouge.[7] It comprises 144,721 White Americans registered voters, 276,668 African Americans and 27,558 people of other ethnicities. Of its voters, 302,120 are Democrats, 51,268 are Republicans, and 95,559 are affiliated to neither party.[6]

Candidates

Democratic Party

Republican Party

  • Dwayne Bailey, refinery worker
  • Josue Larose, Super PAC organizer[14]

Libertarian Party

  • Caleb Trotter, banker and law school student[11][15]

General election

Results

Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, 2012 [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
DemocraticCedric Richmond (incumbent) 158,501 55.2
DemocraticGary Landrieu71,91625.0
RepublicanDwayne Bailey38,80113.5
RepublicanJosue Larose11,3453.9
LibertarianCaleb Trotter6,7912.4
Total votes287,354 100.0
Democratic hold

District 3

2012 Louisiana's 3rd congressional district election

← 2010
2014 →
 
CandidateCharles BoustanyJeff LandryRon Richard
PartyRepublicanRepublicanDemocratic
First round139,123
44.7%
93,527
30.0%
67,070
21.5%
Runoff58,820
60.9%
37,767
39.1%
Eliminated

Boustany:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Landry:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

U.S. Representative before election

Charles Boustany (Republican)
Jeff Landry (Republican)

Elected U.S. Representative

Charles Boustany
Republican

The 3rd district includes the homes of Republican incumbents Jeff Landry and Charles Boustany, who have represented the 3rd district since January 2011 and the now-defunct 7th district since 2005 respectively.[9] It comprises 336,889 White Americans registered voters, 107,033 African Americans and 14,497 people of other ethnicities. Of its voters, 229,704 are Democrats, 120,787 are Republicans, and 107,928 are affiliated to neither party.[6]

The district is located in southern Louisiana and stretches from the Texas border to Iberia and St. Martin parishes.[7] It incorporates Lake Charles and Lafayette, which were centers of population in Boustany's former district. Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes, which form a part of the district Landry currently represents, will no longer be in the 3rd district.[9]

Candidates

Republican Party

  • Bryan Barrilleaux, physician
  • Charles Boustany, incumbent U.S. Representative for the 7th district[16]
  • Jeff Landry, incumbent U.S. Representative[17]

Democratic Party

  • Ron Richard, attorney

Libertarian Party

General election

Results

Louisiana's 3rd congressional district, 2012 (jungle primary)[12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanCharles Boustany (incumbent) 139,123 44.7
RepublicanJeff Landry (incumbent) 93,527 30.0
DemocraticRon Richard67,07021.5
RepublicanBryan Barrilleaux7,9082.6
LibertarianJim Stark3,7651.2
Total votes311,393 100.0

Runoff

Louisiana's 3rd congressional district, 2012 (runoff)[19]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanCharles W. Boustany, Jr. (incumbent) 58,820 60.9
RepublicanJeff Landry (incumbent)37,76739.1
Total votes96,587 100.0
Republican hold

District 4

2012 Louisiana's 4th congressional district election

← 2010
2014 →
 
CandidateJohn FlemingRandall Lord
PartyRepublicanLibertarian
Popular vote187,89461,637
Percentage75.3%24.7%

Parish results
Fleming:      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

U.S. Representative before election

John Fleming
Republican

Elected U.S. Representative

John Fleming
Republican

Republican John Fleming, who has represented the 4th district since 2009, is running for re-election.[20] The district comprises 276,373 White Americans registered voters, 140,630 African Americans and 15,020 people of other ethnicities. Of its voters, 221,187 are Democrats, 118,015 are Republicans, and 92,721 are affiliated to neither party.[6] Its boundaries remain similar to those of its previous incarnation:[9] it is anchored by Shreveport and borders Texas and Arkansas.[7]

Candidates

Republican Party

  • John Fleming, incumbent U.S. Representative

Libertarian Party

  • Randall Lord, former chiropractor[21]

Democratic Party

Declined

General election

Results

Louisiana's 4th congressional district, 2012 [12][23]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanJohn Fleming (incumbent) 187,894 75.3
LibertarianRandall Lord61,63724.7
Total votes249,531 100.0
Republican hold

District 5

2012 Louisiana's 5th congressional district election

 
CandidateRodney AlexanderRon CeasarClay Steven Grant
PartyRepublicanIndependentLibertarian
Popular vote202,53637,48620,194
Percentage77.8%14.4%7.8%

Parish results
Alexander:      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

U.S. Representative before election

Rodney Alexander
Republican

Elected U.S. Representative

Rodney Alexander
Republican

Republican Rodney Alexander, who has represented the 5th district since 2003, is running for re-election.[13] The district comprises 294,830 White Americans registered voters, 144,744 African Americans and 11,107 people of other ethnicities. Of its voters, 239,963 are Democrats, 117,624 are Republicans, and 93,094 are affiliated to neither party.[6] The make-up of the 5th district, which mostly covers the northeast of the state,[7] now takes in the northern reaches of the Florida Parishes north of Baton Rouge, which were a part of the old 1st and 6th districts.[9]

Candidates

Republican Party

  • Rodney Alexander, incumbent U.S. Representative

Libertarian Party

  • Clay Grant, businessman

Independents

General election

Louisiana's 5th congressional district, 2012 [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanRodney Alexander (incumbent) 202,536 77.8
IndependentRon Ceasar37,48614.4
LibertarianClay Steven Grant20,1947.8
Total votes260,216 100.0
Republican hold

District 6

2012 Louisiana's 6th congressional district election

← 2010
2014 →
 
CandidateBill CassidyRufus Holt CraigRichard "RPT" Torregano
PartyRepublicanLibertarianIndependent
Popular vote243,55337,48630,975
Percentage79.4%10.5%10.1%

Parish results
Cassidy:      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

U.S. Representative before election

Bill Cassidy
Republican

Elected U.S. Representative

Bill Cassidy
Republican

Republican Bill Cassidy, who has represented the 6th district since 2009, is running for re-election.[24] The district comprises 334,899 White Americans registered voters, 88,460 African Americans and 16,873 people of other ethnicities. Of its voters, 194,088 are Democrats, 143,160 are Republicans, and 102,984 are affiliated to neither party.[6] It includes the suburbs of Baton Rouge and extends south as far as the outskirts of Houma.[7]

Candidates

Republican Party

  • Bill Cassidy, incumbent U.S. Representative

Libertarian Party

  • Rufus Holt Craig, Jr., lawyer and 2004 Democratic candidate for Louisiana's 6th congressional district[21]

Independents

  • Richard "RPT" Torregano, technician[25]

General election

Results

Louisiana's 6th congressional district, 2012 [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanBill Cassidy (incumbent) 243,553 79.4
LibertarianRufus Holt Craig32,18510.5
IndependentRichard "RPT" Torregano30,97510.1
Total votes306,713 100.0
Republican hold

References