Incumbent – Rob Marionneaux (D – Term limited in 2011)

District Map

Voting History

Current District

In addition to the Westside, the district crosses the Mississippi River to include all of East Feliciana and part of St. Helena Parishes. These areas are rural and its politics are influenced both by a large black population and the presence of several governmental institutions. Finally, the district includes the northwest corner of East Baton Rouge Parish down to Hooper Road. This area (also known as Central) is predominately white conservative, and was recently incorporated as Central City so that it could get its own school district in 2007.

The district overall had a decided, but not overwhelming, Democratic edge due to the district’s 38% black voter base, unionized plant workers, government employees, and sugarcane farmers. However, there is a fairly significant Republican presence in the East Baton Rouge precincts in the district. This translates politically to a marginal district that Republicans narrowly carry in national elections, while Democrats normally carry the district in statewide and local races. Until last year, that is – both Jay Dardenne and David Vitter were victorious here. Could this mean that the once solid populist Democratic voting base is a thing of the past?

For a period of time in the 1990s, the district had turbulent politics. From 1967-1991, the district was entirely rural populist Democratic, and both J. E. Jumonville Sr (and Jr) represented the district. After the 1991 reapportionment, enough high income neighborhoods from south Baton Rouge were added to make the district politically competitive, and Democratic veterinarian Tom Greene upset Jumonville 51-49% in the 1991 runoff, with 69% support from the Baton Rouge precincts (Jumonville still carried the Westside parishes with 55%). Senator Greene’s conservative politics guaranteed that he would have challenging re-elections, and Jumonville sought a rematch in 1995. Though Senator Greene widened his victory percentage to 58%, he only received 52% of the vote in the Westside, while getting 78% of the vote in East Baton Rouge. Senator Greene switched to the Republican Party shortly thereafter, but retired in 1999 to challenge Mike Foster in the 1999 governor’s race (he received 3% of the vote in the primary).

Tom Greene’s retirement resulted in a competitive race to succeed him in 1999, and Democratic state representative Rob Marionneaux eked out a 51-49% runoff victory over a Republican by carrying the Westside with 57%, even though he only got 30% of the vote in East Baton Rouge Parish. The 2001 redistricting strengthened Sen. Marionneaux. Democratic rural territory in East Feliciana and Saint Helena was added, while affluent neighborhoods near LSU were swapped for Central. Marionneaux’s 1999 Republican opponent sought a rematch, but this time, another Republican jumped in the race, and Marionneaux was comfortably re-elected 62-29%. Not only did he sweep the Westside and rural parishes 64-27%, but he only trailed 43-45% in East Baton Rouge Parish. His 2007 re-election was even more anticlimactic, as he received 83% of the vote. Because Senator Marionneaux was term limited, this district is an open seat race this year.

Proposed District