INCUMBENT: Rob Shadoin (Republican)

DESCRIPTION: House District 12 is located in north Louisiana and is a partially rural, partially small town district that contains all of Union Parish and the northern/eastern portions of Lincoln Parish in and around Ruston (home of Louisiana Tech) – the black majority precincts in Lincoln Parish in and around Grambling have been in an adjacent black majority district since the 1991 reapportionment.

DISTRICT MAP:

District Map

RED/BLUE RATING (using 2008, 2012, and 2014 elections): 74% Republican

JMCEL’s SUMMARY: House District 12 is one of several Republican friendly districts that only started electing Republicans to the Legislature in recent memory (in this case, a special election in 2003), but once it did, Democrats have not attempted to compete here, as the Ruston precincts are solidly Republican, and Union Parish (with its relatively low 25% black registration) has steadily become as heavily Republican as the white majority precincts in Lincoln Parish have. There was an open seat race here in 2011 when Republican Hollis Downs, who could have served until 2015, decided not to seek re-election. A three Republican race ensued to replace him, and the victor was Republican Rob Shadoin, who was victorious in the runoff with 54%. He is allowed to serve two more terms, and should have no re-election troubles in a district that voted 3:1 for Mitt Romney and Bill Cassidy.