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The Bayou Progressive

2026 elections

Stories tagged 2026 elections.

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46 published stories · Page 1
Elections

Money, Missing Debates and a Super PAC War: 6 Takeaways From LA-06 Fundraising

Louisiana’s newly redrawn 6th Congressional District is becoming an expensive battleground for Republicans, with millions flowing into campaign advertising and outside political groups spending heavily to influence the contest. Meanwhile, three Democrats are trying to build support with considerably smaller budgets in a district specifically redrawn to favor the GOP. New federal campaign finance reports…

Elections

7 Takeaways From the 6th District Debate: An Empty Podium, a Republican Front-Runner and Three Competing Democratic Visions

Four candidates for Louisiana’s newly redrawn 6th Congressional District took the stage Friday night at Baton Rouge’s Manship Theatre for what was billed as a debate but often felt more like a televised candidate forum. Democrats Chauna Banks, Pat Forbes and Lindsay “Rubia” Garcia were joined by Republican state Sen. Rick Edmonds for the hour-long…

Elections

Pat Forbes says experience, not ideology, is his case for Louisiana’s 6th District

Pat Forbes does not pretend that three Democrats competing in Louisiana’s newly redrawn 6th Congressional District is an ideal situation. “Obviously, it’s not good for us to have three Democrats in the race,” Forbes told The Bayou Progressive in a wide-ranging interview this week. “But here we are.” The question hanging over Forbes’ candidacy is…

Elections

ASAP’s Boots on the Ground Convening Aims to Build Political Power Across North Louisiana

For Omari Ho-Sang, the political challenge facing North Louisiana is not simply convincing more people to vote in November. It is building the kind of organizing infrastructure that can reach people long before an election, develop local leaders and continue holding public officials accountable after the votes are counted. That work will be at the…

Elections

‘We Just Don’t Write It Off’: Lauren Jewett on Taking On Steve Scalise in LA-1

Lauren Jewett knows the odds. The Metairie special education teacher is running for Congress in Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District, a reliably Republican seat represented for the past 18 years by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Scalise has more than $10 million flowing through his campaign operation this cycle. Jewett had raised just under $143,000 through…

Elections

Letlow’s Financial Disclosure Deadline Passes as Stock Trading Questions Deepen

Rep. Julia Letlow had until Thursday to file the annual financial disclosure that should provide Louisiana voters with their clearest accounting yet of her finances during a year already marked by hundreds of previously undisclosed stock and bond transactions. That deadline has passed. As of 3 PM on Friday afternoon, Letlow’s 2025 annual financial disclosure…

Elections

New Poll Puts Jamie Davis Four Points Behind Julia Letlow as 1 in 5 Voters Remain Undecided

A four-point U.S. Senate race in Louisiana would be a political earthquake. Donald Trump carried the state by 22 points less than two years ago. Democrats have not won a Louisiana Senate election since Mary Landrieu’s last victory in 2008. The Cook Political Report continues to classify the seat as Safe Republican, while RealClearPolling’s page…

Elections

With 10 Candidates and No Clear Lane, Louisiana’s Redrawn 6th Looks Headed for a Runoff

Louisiana lawmakers redrew the 6th Congressional District this spring to make it considerably easier for Republicans to win. Qualifying made deciding which Republican — or whether a Democrat can make the runoff — considerably more complicated. Ten candidates qualified for the newly configured district before Friday’s deadline, including two sitting Republican state senators with substantial…

Elections

Jamie Davis Says There’s No “Dress Code” to Serve Louisiana

Jamie Davis knows some voters do not see him as the polished, consultant-built version of a U.S. Senate candidate. He does not sound like one. He does not dress like one. He does not pretend to be a Washington policy technician waiting for his close-up. And as Davis tells it, some of the sharpest criticism…

State Government

Southern Democrats warn Louisiana redistricting fight could reshape Black representation across the South

Democratic lawmakers from Louisiana, Texas, Georgia and Mississippi gathered at the Louisiana State Capitol on Wednesday to warn that Louisiana’s latest congressional redistricting fight is not an isolated state issue, but part of a broader regional effort to roll back Black voting power and Democratic representation across the South. The press conference, led by Rep….

Elections

Jamie Davis Won Because He Understood the Democratic Electorate That Actually Showed Up

Jamie Davis did not win the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate outright Saturday night. But he did win the first round decisively. And the reason is not especially mysterious. Davis won because he was best positioned for the Democratic electorate that actually showed up: older, heavily Black, deeply rooted in the party’s most consistent voting…