Incumbent – H. Bernard LeBas (D – Term Limited in 2019)

District Map

House District 38

Vote History

Current District

House District 38 is located in the heart of Acadiana. It contains all of Evangeline parish except for a handful of precincts in the southern portion of the parish. It also swings into Saint Landry Parish to pick up nearly all of the territory north of US 190 and east of I-49.

Demographically, this district contains a moderate 28% black voter registration, which is a slight uptick from 27% when the lines were last drawn. And over 2/3 of the vote is cast in Evangeline Parish. Politically, this is one of those districts that would, like the state as whole, lean Republican in Presidential races while voting Democratic (especially if the candidate was from Acadiana) at the local level. In recent years, Republicans have gained strength here, and in 2010, David Vitter and Jay Dardenne received respectable levels of support from the district’s voters.

Democrats still are in control with regards to legislative races here, although there have been competitive races from time to time. Daniel Lemoine served from 1984 to 1992, until he was defeated by fellow Democrat Dirk Deville in the 1991 runoff. Deville served two terms before retiring in 2000. Eric Lafleur (who ran against Deville in 1995) succeeded him and served for two terms before getting elected to a vacant state senate seat in 2007. Ville Platte pharmacist Bernard LeBas succeeded Lafleur and was elected without opposition. He is allowed to serve two more terms.

New District

Redistricting was not much of an issue in this part of the state. The district was only 1% under the population of an “ideal” district (a 5% population variance is permitted), and the demographics did not support creation of a new black majority district in the area (although one was created further to the south, in St Martin/Iberia Parishes). This was one of four house districts which was left untouched.

Rep. LeBas shouldn’t have re-election worries, but this is one of those historically Democratic districts where a Republican would have a chance if the seat opened up.