Jim Beam column: Calcasieu voters face changes

Calcasieu Parish legislators through the years have succeeded in keeping all of the parish in the same congressional district. However, it has been split almost in half between the 3 ^rd and 4 ^th Congressional Districts for the Nov. 5 congressional election.

Act 5 of the first special legislative session of 2022 kept Calcasieu whole, but it failed to create a second majority-Black district. The Associated Press reported that the changes effectively maintained five Republican districts and one Democratic majority Black district.

Civil rights advocates challenged that map and a Baton Rouge-based federal district judge said the districts discriminated against Black voters. The U.S. Supreme Court put her order to create a new district on hold, but later returned the case to Louisiana.

The 5 ^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans then gave Louisiana legislators a deadline to draw a new map with a second majority Black district or face the possibility of the court drawing a new congressional map.

Legislators did that at their first special legislative session this year. Act 2 of the session created a new majority Black 6 ^th Congressional District linking parts of the Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas. It is that map that split Calcasieu Parish in half.

A group of non-African Americans filed suit against the map, saying it was drawn too much by race, in violation of the U.S. Constitution. A divided panel of federal judges ruled 2-1 in their favor and blocked use of the new map.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry and state Attorney General Liz Murrill argued the new map was adopted with political considerations — not race — and should be used for this year’s election.

The Supreme Court agreed and in a May 15 order told Louisiana to hold this year’s election with the map that has two majority Black districts.

Whether that map will be used in future congressional elections remains to be seen. The issue is expected to be back in federal court and a different decision is possible.

However, for now voters in Calcasieu Parish will be voting in two congressional districts. Voters in the northern part of the parish will be voting in the 4 ^th District and most Lake Charles and other voters will continue to vote in the 3 ^rd District.

District 3 includes Acadia Parish, 72 precincts in Calcasieu Parish, Cameron, Iberia and Jeff Davis parishes, 94 precincts in Lafayette Parish, and 23 precincts in Lafourche Parish, and all of St.. Martin, St.  Mary, Terrebonne and Vermilion parishes.

District 4 includes Allen, Beauregard, Bienville and Bossier parishes, 51 precincts in Calcasieu Parish, Claiborne, Evangeline, Grant, Jackson, Lincoln, Red River, Sabine, Union, Vernon, Webster and Winn parishes and precincts in Caddo, DeSoto, Ouachita and Rapides parishes.

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, has three opponents in the 3rd District on Nov. 5. Two Democrats are Priscilla Gonzales of Lafayette and Sadi Summerlin of Westlake. The fourth candidate is Republican “Xan” John of Lafayette.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Bossier City, has one opponent in the 4 ^th District. Joshua Morott of Benton is a Republican.

U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, of the 1 ^st District has five opponents, three other Republicans, one Democrat and one no party candidate.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, a Democrat from New Orleans, holds the 2 ^nd Congressional District seat, which in the past has been the only majority Black district. He has four opponents, one other Democrat and three Republicans.

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Rayville, of the 5 ^th District has two opponents, one other Republican and one Democrat.

The 6 ^th District is the new majority Black district. There are five candidates — four Democrats and one Republican.

The representatives holding the current congressional seats had little trouble winning two years ago on Nov. 8, 2022.

Scalise with 73% of the vote defeated two opponents. Carter with 77% of the vote defeated one opponent. Higgins with 64% of the vote defeated seven other candidates. Johnson was unopposed. Letlow with 68% of the vote defeated four opponents. Republican U.S. Rep. Garret Graves of Baton Rouge and the 6 ^th District isn’t running for re-election. His district is the new majority-Black district. He won in 2022 with 80% of the vote against two opponents.

With the exception of the 6 ^th District, we don’t expect to see any major Louisiana congressional changes on Nov. 5.

Jim Beam , the retired editor of the American Press , has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or jim.beam.press@gmail.com.