BATON ROUGE — Terry Landry Jr. secured the Louisiana House District 67 seat in Saturday’s special election, narrowly surpassing the majority threshold to avoid a runoff. Landry earned 51.8% of the vote, edging past the 50% mark required to win outright. Malcolm Myer followed with 42.19%, while James “Sonny” Marchbanks received 6.01%.
The seat became vacant after former Representative Larry Selders won a special election to the state Senate in February. District 67, encompassing parts of Baton Rouge, is a majority-Black district that has consistently elected Democrats. Landry’s victory maintains Democratic representation in the district.
Landry, an attorney and policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, has extensive experience in state government, including roles in Medicaid fraud oversight and child welfare services. His campaign emphasized bipartisan collaboration, public safety, educational improvement, and government accountability.
Turnout in Saturday’s special election once again raised concerns about voter engagement in Baton Rouge. With only 2,894 votes cast, the unofficial voter turnout was approximately 13.5%, barely surpassing the notably low 9.5% turnout in the February election that originally created this vacancy. This continued trend of low participation underscores ongoing challenges in mobilizing voters in local and state elections, particularly in districts like House District 67, which face significant economic and social issues.
With the election results, Landry is set to assume office following certification by the Louisiana Secretary of State.