Incumbent – Ed Murray (D – Term Limited in 2015)

District Map

Senate District 4

Vote History

Current District

Senate District 4 can be considered the “Mid-city district.” It encompasses a rectangular shaped section of New Orleans whose approximate boundaries are Lake Pontchartrain, Elysian Fields, the Mississippi River, Canal Street, Airline Highway, and the 17^th Avenue Canal (the border between Orleans and Jefferson Parishes). Like Senate District 5 to the south, this is a economically and racially mixed district that includes the housing projects near downtown, the racially mixed precincts of Gentilly, affluent areas near the lake, middle income precincts in Lakeview, and the bohemian neighborhoods of the French Quarter and adjacent Marigny.

Despite the economic and racial diversity in the district, the district has a 55% black voter registration, which is down from 59% when the district lines were last drawn. Hurricane Katrina certainly was the catalyst for this change, since the 17^th Street Canal (the levee break that got the bulk of the press coverage during Katrina) is in the district. Hurricane Katrina decimated nearly every neighborhood in the district, and since the hurricane, the white voter population is down 24%, while black voter registration (in absolute numbers) is down 36%.

Politically, this is a solidly Democratic district. In addition to the black majority’s creating a solid Democratic voter base, you have a noticeable white liberal contingent in Midcity, the French Quarter, and Marigny that pretty much guarantees 3 to 1 Democratic majorities in most contested statewide elections despite the conservative leanings of Lakeview and Lakeshore Drive – Charlie Melancon carried the white liberal precincts 61-34%, which was impressive when you consider that he got 38% of the statewide vote.

There has been some turnover in the district’s state Senate representation, as three of its recent occupants have moved on (or attempted to move on) to other offices. Ben Bagert represented the area for two terms from 1984 to 1992. In 1989, he switched to the Republican Party as part of an abortive 1990 U.S. Senate candidacy, and in 1991, he vacated the seat to run unsuccessfully for Attorney General.

The 1991 Senate reapportionment was a political master stroke by former Senate President Sammy Nunez, as it was used to increase black representation while simultaneously targeting senators who were not supportive of the Senate President. One of those districts targeted was Senate District 4, which was reconfigured to be majority black. In that reconfiguration, black Democrat Marc Morial (son of the former Mayor of New Orleans) was elected in the first primary with 51% of the vote. He only served briefly, as he was elected Mayor of New Orleans in 1994. In the special election that ensued, another black Democrat, Paulette Irons, was elected with 56% in the runoff, and was re-elected without much issue until she resigned in 2004 upon election to a district judgeship. Curiously, she was succeeded by black Democrat/state representative Ed Murray, whom Irons had defeated in 1994. Murray was easily elected both in the special election and in 2007. (UPDATED 9/9/2011) He was unopposed in 2011, and is allowed to serve one more term.

New District

Reapportionment within the city of New Orleans was complicated, given the massive population losses. District 4 was 39% under populated; only one other senate district (District 2, in New Orleans East), had less people. Major adjustments had to be made to the district lines here and elsewhere in New Orleans. A set of 90% black precincts near Carrollton and Airline Highway and between I-10 and Broad Street was removed from the district and given to Senate District 5 (represented by Karen Carter Peterson), which similarly under populated. District 4 also picked up some additional precincts from Senate District 3 (represented by J.P. Morrell) along Elysian Fields near Claiborne and near SUNO – these precincts were 71% black. Since Senate District 2 (represented by Cynthia Willard-Lewis) was dissolved, the 92% black precincts between Morrison Road and Lake Pontchartrain all the way out to Paris Road were absorbed by District 4. These changes overall increased the black voter registration from 55 to 63%, and have further strengthened the Democratic tendencies of the district. Senator Murray, or any other black Democrat, should have no problems getting elected or re-elected here.