Louisiana 2015 Election Results

Open Primary, October 24, 2015

Louisiana held its open primary on October 24, 2015, deciding 126 legislative seats and 4 statewide offices. Candidates who won a majority were elected outright; the other races went to a November runoff. No chamber changed party control.

Highlights

• Democrats broke the Republican trifecta by winning the governorship, while Republicans kept both legislative chambers. In January the new House chose Taylor Barras (R) as speaker over Walt Leger III (D), the new governor's favored candidate, the first time in memory a governor's ally lost the post.
• John Bel Edwards (D), a little-known lawmaker from a rural parish who campaigned on his West Point degree, led the October primary with about 40% and beat David Vitter (R) by about 12 points in November. The race largely became about Vitter, who faced repeated attacks over a 2007 prostitution scandal and was hampered by high disapproval ratings for outgoing Gov. Bobby Jindal (R). Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne (R), who finished fourth in October, endorsed Edwards for the runoff. After losing, Vitter said he would not seek re-election to the U.S. Senate.
• Republicans won the other two statewide runoffs. Jeff Landry (R) trailed Attorney General Buddy Caldwell (R) in October but unseated the two-term incumbent by about 13 points in the all-Republican runoff. For lieutenant governor, Billy Nungesser (R) beat the Baton Rouge mayor, Kip Holden (D), by about 11 points after Holden led in October.
• Five legislative incumbents lost:
  • In October, Stephanie Hilferty (R) unseated Nick Lorusso (R), one of the chamber's most senior members, by about 12 points in House District 94, an upset. Julie Emerson (R) beat Stephen Ortego (D) by about 250 votes in House District 39, a Republican pickup.
  • In the November runoffs, Beryl Amedée (R) beat Joe Harrison (R) by about 300 votes in House District 51, Rick Edmonds (R) beat Darrell Ourso (R) by about 570 votes in House District 66, and Tanner Magee (R) beat Lenar Whitney (R) by about 22 points in House District 53.
• Republicans also picked up the open Democratic seat in House District 41 with Phillip DeVillier (R), plus Beth Mizell (R) in Senate District 12 in the runoff. Democrats' lone gain was the open Senate District 38, where John Milkovich (D) beat Richie Burford (R) by about 5 points in the runoff. The closest legislative race was in House District 52, where Jerome Zeringue (R) beat J.J. Buquet (R) by six votes in October.
• The four other statewide Republican incumbents won outright in October: Treasurer John Kennedy (R), Secretary of State Tom Schedler (R), Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain (R), and Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon (R). Voters split the four constitutional amendments, approving Amendment 2 (a transportation infrastructure bank) and Amendment 4 (taxing property owned by another state) and rejecting Amendment 1 (a budget and transportation trust) and Amendment 3 (fiscal-session subjects).

Legislature

• House (105 seats): 44 D, 59 R, 2 other or vacant before the election, 42 D, 61 R, 2 other or vacant after; control stayed with Republicans.
• Senate (39 seats): 15 D, 24 R before the election, 14 D, 25 R after; control stayed with Republicans.

Statewide races

Legislative races

Ballot measures

Runoffs, November 21, 2015

Louisiana held runoffs on November 21, 2015, deciding 18 legislative seats and 3 statewide offices led by the governorship.

Legislature

• House (105 seats): 44 D, 59 R, 2 other or vacant before the election, 42 D, 61 R, 2 other or vacant after; control stayed with Republicans.
• Senate (39 seats): 15 D, 24 R before the election, 14 D, 25 R after; control stayed with Republicans.

Statewide races

Legislative races