INCUMBENT: A.G. Crowe (Republican)

DESCRIPTION: Senate District 1 is located in the southeastern corner of the state and includes parts of four parishes: the east bank of Plaquemines Parish, the outer portions of Saint Bernard Parish, the easternmost portion of Orleans Parish, and portions of Saint Tammany centered on Slidell and Pearl River.

DISTRICT MAP:

District Map

RED/BLUE RATING (using 2008, 2012, and 2014 elections): 65% Republican

JMCEL’s SUMMARY: Senate District 1 is a district that has seen its “personality” change substantially over the years due to reapportionment. It was once a Saint Bernard and Plaquemines-based district, but the 2001 reapportionment shifted the district northwards into Saint Tammany Parish for the first time. After Hurricane Katrina wrecked havoc on most of the district in 2005, there were substantial population losses across the district, and these population losses pushed the district further into Saint Tammany Parish for the 2011 reapportionment. These evolutions have had an impact on the district’s representation: for years, this was a blue collar district that voted Democratic in legislative races and Republican in some statewide elections. That changed in 1995, when its 26 year incumbent Sammy Nunez was defeated in a bitter race by Republican Lynn Dean. Sen. Dean served two terms before retiring, and in the open seat race in 2003, Republican Walter Boasso was elected. He vacated the seat in 2007 to run for Governor – as a Democrat – and in a fiercely contested race, Republican A.G. Crowe was elected 52% of the vote, and owed his margin of victory to his 3:1 margin in his native Saint Tammany Parish. Redistricting considerably strengthened Sen. Crowe by removing parts of Saint Bernard and Plaquemines and adding more of Saint Tammany Parish – Saint Tammany currently has 84% of the district’s vote. In his 2011 re-election race, he faced a term limited Republican legislator from Saint Bernard Parish, and defeated her 69-31%, carrying all four parishes. He could have sought one more term, but decided to retire. Given the fact that this is a Saint Tammany district now, his successor will almost certainly be a Republican (Romney got 69% of the vote, and 63% voted for Cassidy).