Kay Katz (R)
Term limited in 2011
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 3,744 (29%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 9,055 (71%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 4,285 (34%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 8,282 (66%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 13,708 (75%)
John Kerry (D) 4,311 (24%)
Others 174 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 12,307 (71%)
Chris John (D) 2,942 (17%)
Others 2,130 (12%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 3,345 (38%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 1,085 (12%)
Mike Francis (R) 3,372 (39%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 502 (6%)
Others 415 (5%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 7,753 (66%)
Walter Boasso (D) 1,311 (11%)
John Georges (I) 1,441 (12%)
Foster Campbell (D) 1,144 (10%)
Others 124 (2%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 3,449 (31%)
Mike Strain (R) 5,563 (50%)
Wayne Carter (R) 1,211 (11%)
Don Johnson (R) 942 (8%)

District 16 starts in downtown Monroe and heads north all the way to the town of Sterlington in the northern Ouachita Parish. It includes the more affluent areas of town, and is considered a Republican district. It also has a low (16%) African-American voter population, although this percentage has increased from 12% since the district lines were redrawn. It has also gained voters at about the statewide rate.

The district is not only steady in its partisan preference, but it has had steady representation in the state house. Republicans can count on 66-71% support in statewide elections, and it gave a healthy 75% vote of the vote to President Bush in his 2004 re-election. In its state house representation, it had had two representatives since 1975. Democrat Jim Dimos (Buddy Roemer’s choice for house speaker from 1987-1991) served until 1999 and was usually unopposed in his re-election endeavors. When he retired in 1999 to become a district judge, he was succeeded by Republican activist Kay Katz, who was victorious in the primary. Rep. Katz was unopposed in 2003 and was re-elected in 2007 with 64% of the vote.

Given the district’s electoral history, we rate this seat as a “Republican hold” in 2011, when Rep. Katz will be term limited.