INCUMBENT: Robert Johnson (Democrat)

DESCRIPTION: House District 28 has the curious distinction of being the only House district to contain all of a single parish (which in this case is Avoyelles), and it has had this distinction for years. The late John Maginnis once described Avoyelles Parish (which also was the boyhood home of former Governor Edwin Edwards) as “the buttonhole in the state, the center point where the Red River and the hills of the north meet the Atchafalaya and the plains of the south.” Maginnis also noted that in this parish (which is divided by the Red River), “one is defined by being either from the ‘Cajun side’ or the ‘Redneck side’ of that river.”

DISTRICT MAP:

District Map

RED/BLUE RATING (using 2008, 2012, and 2014 elections): 59% Republican

JMCEL’s SUMMARY: Avoyelles Parish has long been a political curiosity. This primarily agricultural parish also contains the massive Paragon Casino in Marksville, and is predominately Cajun, although the portion of the parish north of the Red River has the same mindset of Protestant North Louisiana. Politically, this formerly staunchly Democratic parish is now a “swing parish”: in the 28 elections held for President, Senate, or Governor since 1980, Avoyelles only voted for the loser once: it supported David Duke in the Senate race against J. Bennett Johnston in 1990. At the legislative level, this district remains solidly Democratic, although when this was an open seat in 2007, Democrat Robert Johnson only defeated a Republican 53-47%. Against the same opponent in 2011, however, he increased his margin to 63-37%, despite the Republican wave that was apparent that year. He is allowed to serve one more term and is probably safe for re-election: as further evidence of his electoral strength, he carried Avoyelles with 62% of the vote in a 2013 Congressional special election that produced Vance McAllister, despite Johnson’s only getting 10% of the vote districtwide. Despite his likely electoral security this fall, the fact that both Cassidy and Romney carried the parish with 63% of the vote means that the Republicans will still see this seat as a legitimate pickup opportunity either this fall or in 2019, when the seat will be open due to term limits.