INCUMBENT: Bob Kostelka (Republican)

DESCRIPTION: Senate District 35 is located both in central and north Louisiana, and contains portions of metropolitan Alexandria, Monroe, and Ruston, as well as the rural territory connecting those three cities. Curiously, the campuses of both Louisiana Tech and the University of Louisiana at Monroe are contained within the district boundaries.

DISTRICT MAP:

District Map

RED/BLUE RATING (using 2008, 2012, and 2014 elections): 80% Republican

JMCEL’s SUMMARY: While Senate District 35 is an elongated district that contains parts of three of the larger cities in central/northern Louisiana, there is a polticial reason for these elongated boundaries: a black majority district was also created nearby in 2011 from the (formerly) Alexandria-based district of a term limited state senator, and as such, a district that was once centered in Monroe and Ruston had to travel south to take in enough territory to meet the equal population standard for a state senate district. The political complexion of the district is heavily Republican, and was one of the first Senate districts to elect a Republican senator in North Louisiana before the rest of that part of the state became more Republican friendly in 2007. The current state senator is Republican “Bob” Kostelka, who defeated a Democratic incumbent 52-48% in 2003, was unopposed in 2007, but nearly was defeated himself for re-election in 2011 (ironically, he held on 52-48%) when the district lines were shifted south towards Alexandria, giving him a lot of new territory he had not previously represented. Senator Kostelka is term limited this year, but he will almost certainly be succeeded by another Republican – both Bill Cassidy and Mitt Romney got 82% of the district vote.