INCUMBENT: Karen Carter Peterson (Democrat)

DESCRIPTION: Senate District 5 is located in New Orleans and includes some of its most affluent neighborhoods along Saint Charles Avenue, as well as the Garden District and most of Uptown. It also includes its black neighborhoods between the Central Business District and Midcity, as well as a salient of black majority precincts along Airline Highway in Jefferson Parish.

DISTRICT MAP:

District Map

RED/BLUE RATING (using 2008, 2012, and 2014 elections): 84% Democratic

JMCEL’s SUMMARY: Senate District 5 is a study in contrasts that is the epitome of New Orleans proper: stately mansions existing besides middle and lower income housing (and in some instances, housing projects). This is a district that for years has been a majority black district, but the district has always had a substantial white minority in neighborhoods like the Garden District and Uptown, and these residents are increasingly supporting liberal candidates in most races. Accordingly, the politics of the district are solidly Democratic: in Presidential and Senate races, Senate District 5 typically turns in over 80% support for Democratic candidates, although “Bobby” Jindal has been able to cut into this liberal vote each time he has been on the gubernatorial ballot. This district has had stable representation from black Democrats until recently, and the current senator is Karen Carter Peterson, who was elected in a 2010 special election, and she was unopposed in 2011. She is allowed to serve one more term and probably a safe bet for re-election, although a district that was 61% black by voter registration a decade ago and 51% black today is not one where she can feel electorally secure. In fact, it’s not out of the question that when her seat opens up, a non-black Democratic legislator like Helena Moreno or Walt Leger III (who both have demonstrated an ability to get a decent percentage of the black vote) could get elected here in a future election cycle.