In this election, Acadiana and Southwest Louisiana voters have a choice to make in two U.S. House district races and one statewide U.S. Senate race, as well as on 10 proposed amendments to the state’s constitution.
In District 3, which covers Southwest Louisiana’s coastal areas along with parts of Acadiana, Clay Higgins competes with only one Republican opponent, Kate Cotten of Lake Charles, who says she ran to offer Republican voters an alternative — but didn’t mount much of a campaign. A Democratic candidate who came in second in the 2024 election for the seat, Priscilla Gonzalez, is running again this year, but has been the subject of a recent complaint to the state ethics board over alleged campaign finance violations.
In District 4, which extends northward from Calcasieu Parish all the way to Shreveport, incumbent Speaker of the House Mike Johnson faces a mixed slate of Democratic and Republican candidates.
In the U.S. Senate race to replace Sen. Bill Cassidy, who was booted from the competition in the Republican primary in May, current U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow (R) is competing against Jamie Davis (D), a farmer and small business owner from Tensas Parish. Letlow was long considered a sure bet to win, but recent polling data shows Davis having a better shot than expected.
Tuesday’s ballot also features a slew of proposed amendments to the state constitution, including changes to property tax exemptions, mandatory sentencing rules and term limits for governors. An in-depth explanation of the individual proposals can be found in The Current’s voter guide.
