Decision 2015: JMCEL’s “bite sized politics” (House District 2)

NCUMBENT: Roy Burrell (Democrat)

DESCRIPTION: House District 2 is in northwest Louisiana and is located in the center of Shreveport (Caddo Parish) along either side of I-20. It then crosses the Red River into Bossier Parish to include parts of Bossier City between the Red River and Benton Road.

DISTRICT MAP:

District Map

District Map

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RED/BLUE RATING (using 2008, 2012, and 2014 elections): 82% Democratic

JMCEL’s SUMMARY: House District 2 was one of the first black majority districts to be drawn when single member districts came to Louisiana in 1971. Since then, it has elected nothing but black Democratic legislators. This is a seat that generally re-elects its legislators without incident: the seat opened up in 2003 when former state representative Lydia Jackson was elected to an open state senate seat for a single term. Roy Burrell was easily elected in the first primary both in 2003 and 2007, and was unopposed in 2011, when his opponent was disqualified from the ballot because he didn’t meet the residency requirements. Rep. Burrell is term limited this year, and his successor will almost certainly be a black Democrat.