INCUMBENT: James Armes (Democrat)

DESCRIPTION: House District 30 is located in Central Louisiana and travels along US Highway 171 to includes areas between Leesville (in Vernon Parish) and DeRidder (in Beauregard Parish).

DISTRICT MAP:

District Map

RED/BLUE RATING (using 2008, 2012, and 2014 elections): 62% Republican

JMCEL’s SUMMARY: House District 30 is a swing district in Louisiana that has slowly but surely begun to support Republicans on a consistent basis in statewide races (it once gave crucial support to Kathleen Blanco and Mary Landrieu), but still elects Democrats in legislative races. The district’s 25% black voter registration certainly helps, but it also helps that Democrats have had strong candidates. From 1988 to 2008, Democrat John Smith represented the district until term limits forced him to vacate the seat, which he did by successfully running for a state senate seat that also opened up due to term limits, and he later switched to the Republican Party while in the Senate. In the race to succeed him, two Republicans and a Democrat ran, and Democrat James Armes won in the runoff with 52%. With Governor Jindal at the top of the ticket in 2011, Republicans contested this seat again, and again two Republicans opposed Rep. Armes, who this time won in the primary with 55% of the vote. Rep. Armes is allowed to serve one more term, and it’ll be interesting to see if he gets a stiff challenge from Republicans this fall.