Incumbent – Eddie Lanbert (R – Term Limited in 2015)

District Map

Current District

Historically, Ascension Parish was a Democratic stronghold, thanks to a coalition of blacks living near the Mississippi River and blue-collar workers employed by the numerous petrochemical plants in the area. This began to change as affluent suburban migration from Baton Rouge accelerated in the 1990s, making Ascension Parish the fastest growing parishes in the state during the past decade (it grew 40% during the 2000s).

In general, House District 59 includes the fastest growing subdivisions between I-10 and Airline Highway from the East Baton Rouge Parish line all the way to the outskirts of Sorrento. It has a low (13%, up from 9% in 2003) black voter registration, and this heavy growth has contributed to a reliably Republican constituency here, especially in areas close to the East Baton Rouge Parish line. In fact, in the timeframe of two statewide election cycles, the Democratic voter registration plurality has shrunk from 47-30% to 36-36%.

The Republican surge that was apparent throughout the Florida Parishes in 1995, however, came later here in Ascension Parish. For 28 years, Democrat “Juba” Diez represented the district, which back then once included parts of Livingston Parish as well as Ascension Parish. Even though he had to fight to hold his seat in the 1990s, he never had Republican opposition. After the 2001 reapportionment, he faced two Republican challengers for the seat, and he switched to the Republican party before his re-election race. Despite the party switch, Rep. Diez lost to Republican Eddie Lambert 58-42% in the runoff. The Republican pick-up of this seat was coupled with another GOP pickup in a newly created state house seat in eastern Ascension Parish. Republicans also managed to capture the office of Parish President that year (although the Democrats recaptured that post in 2007). (UPDATED 9/9/2011) Rep. Lambert was unopposed both in 2007 and 2011, and is allowed to seek one more term.

New District

In the Florida Parishes and in Ascension, redistricting was an “embarrassment of riches”, as population growth enabled five new House seats to be created. District 59 had the distinction of having the most population of any House district in Louisiana – it was 52% over populated and had to contract. It lost all of its territory east of Highway 44 and now stops just short of Gonzales. Even though the black voter population remained at 13%, the removal of precincts between Gonzales and Sorrento slightly boosted the GOP voter base in the district. (UPDATED 9/9/2011) Republicans in general shouldn’t have trouble holding this seat.