INCUMBENT: Nancy Landry (Republican)

DESCRIPTION: House District 31 is a district that has been transformed by rapid suburban growth in the southern reaches of the Lafayette metropolitan area. It includes the southwest portions of Lafayette Parish on either side of US Highway 167 (Johnston Street). It also crosses into Vermilion Parish to include the rapidly suburbanizing town of Maurice.

DISTRICT MAP:

District Map

RED/BLUE RATING (using 2008, 2012, and 2014 elections): 79% Republican

JMCEL’s SUMMARY: House District 31 has only been in existence for four election cycles (it was created after the 2001 reapportionment), so it does not yet have a lot of political history. However, since its creation, it has only elected Republicans, although it has seen competitive races that twice (in 2003 and 2007) were decided by less than 100 votes. The seat opened up in 2008 when its first (and prior) representative Don Trahan resigned to take a state job. The winner in that special election with 62% of the vote was Republican Nancy Landry, who actually ran as an independent in the 2007 race and got 49% of the vote. She was unopposed in 2011 and is eligible for one more term. Given her easy wins in 2008 and 2011, she’s likely in good shape for re-election, but the continued growth of the district means that there are a substantial number of voters who have not seen her name on the ballot, and the district has had turbulent races in the not so distant past.