INCUMBENT: Chris Broadwater (Republican)

DESCRIPTION: House District 86 is located in the middle portion of Tangipahoa Parish and contains the suburbanizing neighborhoods in and around Hammond, although there is some residual Democratic sentiment in towns along US Highway 51 like Independence, Tickfaw, and Natalbany. There is a simple region for the district’s convoluted shape: a neighboring House district (District 72, represented by Democrat John Bel Edwards) was designed to have a black majority, which meant that black neighborhoods in and around Hammond were carefully excluded from this district and were placed in Rep. Edwards’ district.

DISTRICT MAP:

District Map

RED/BLUE RATING (using 2008, 2012, and 2014 elections): 70% Republican

JMCEL’s SUMMARY: House District 86 doesn’t have much in the way of political history, since it was newly created after the 2011 reapportionment, and was located in Tangipahoa Parish as a recognition of the parish’s steady suburban growth from residents of New Orleans and Baton Rouge seeking a more small town setting to raise their children. This district, like District 73 (represented by Steve Pugh) to the south, is the epicenter of the Republican trend in the Florida Parishes over the last couple of decades, and in the 2011 election in this open seat, the Democratic candidate only received 10% of the vote. The incumbent (Chris Broadwater) is allowed to seek two more terms, and should have little trouble with re-election.