Jamie Davis emerged Saturday night as the clear top vote-getter in Louisiana’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, but with unofficial results still showing him below the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff, the race for the Democratic nomination remained unfinished.
With early and absentee votes reported from 61 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes and Election Day results reported from 3,467 of 3,722 precincts, Davis led the Democratic field with 145,643 votes, or 48%, according to unofficial results from the Louisiana Secretary of State.
Under Louisiana’s new closed primary system, if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers advance to a runoff. That means Davis is now positioned as the first-place finisher, but unless the remaining vote pushes him above a majority, he will likely have to defend that lead in a runoff.
The more surprising drama Saturday night was the fight for second place.
Gary Crockett held a narrow lead over Nicholas “Nick” Albares, with Crockett at 80,559 votes and Albares at 79,871. Both candidates were sitting at roughly 26%, separated by fewer than 700 votes.
That margin keeps the second runoff spot very much in play as the final precincts and remaining early and absentee reports come in. It also marks one of the night’s more unexpected developments.
Albares entered the closing stretch with what many saw as real momentum. He had secured the endorsement of former Gov. John Bel Edwards, one of the state’s most prominent Democratic figures, along with support from the New Orleans AFL-CIO. He also maintained a steady presence across the spring campaign circuit, appearing at Democratic forums and Roadshow events around the state.
Crockett, however, appears to have significantly outperformed expectations. His late strength suggests he had a deeper base of support than many observers recognized, enough to potentially push past Albares for the second runoff position despite Albares’ institutional support and higher-profile late endorsements.
If the numbers hold and Davis remains under 50%, the runoff would become a very different race. Davis would enter as the clear frontrunner, but either Crockett or Albares would get a second chance to consolidate anti-Davis support, sharpen their contrast and make the case that Democratic voters should take another look before choosing a nominee.
The results also come after an unusually chaotic election cycle. The U.S. Senate primary remained on the ballot even after Gov. Jeff Landry moved to suspend Louisiana’s congressional elections following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais. That left the Senate race proceeding under Louisiana’s first major closed primary election while congressional candidates and voters were thrown into uncertainty.
On the Republican side, Julia Letlow was also the top vote-getter but remained below the majority threshold. Letlow led with 169,665 votes, or 45%, followed by John Fleming with 106,738 votes, or 28%. Bill Cassidy trailed in third with 92,589 votes, or 25%, while Mark Spencer had 7,866 votes, or 2%.
The Republican primary had drawn 376,858 votes in the unofficial results, compared to 306,073 votes in the Democratic primary. That gap underscores the structural challenge Louisiana Democrats continue to face in statewide federal races, even in a cycle marked by legal upheaval, voter confusion and Republican infighting.
For Democrats, Davis’ first-place finish gives him the strongest position heading into the next phase. But Saturday’s results also revealed a more competitive field beneath him than many expected.
Davis topped the field. Crockett surprised. Albares is still close enough to fight for the runoff.
And until the final votes are counted, the Democratic Senate race is not fully settled.
The results remain unofficial until certified by the Secretary of State. The Bayou Progressive will update this story as more results become available.