MONROE, La.- On March 20, 2021, voters in parts of Louisiana will be tasked with electing a representative for Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District. The winner of this special election will represent Northeast Louisiana as well as some eastern and central parts of the state.
Democrat Jessica Honsinger originally filed to run, but she has since withdrawn. This leaves Sandra “Candy” Christophe the lone Democrat in the race.
In Northeast Louisiana, voters in the following parishes can vote in the 5th Congressional District race: Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, La Salle, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, Tensas, West Carroll, and Winn.
Voters in all or parts of these parishes will also vote in this race: Avoyelles, East Feliciana, Grant, Rapides, St. Landry, Tangipahoa, Washington, and West Feliciana.
Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District has been held by Republicans since 1993, except for a period from Jan. 2003 to Aug. 2004. In 2002, conservative Democrat Rodney Alexander won a runoff election by about a thousand votes and took office the following January. The first-term Congressman switched to the Republican party just before the 2004 election and went on to be reelected five times.
If no one wins the election outright by getting more than 50% of the vote, the two candidates who received the most votes will head to a runoff election.
