Rosalind Jones (D)
Term limited in 2019
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 8,403 (92%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 764 (8%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 8,403 (91%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 812 (9%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 1,661 (13%)
John Kerry (D) 11,373 (86%)
Others 166 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 1,316 (11%)
Chris John (D) 5,168 (42%)
Others 5,861 (47%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 304 (9%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 2,149 (60%)
Mike Francis (R) 649 (18%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 200 (6%)
Others 268 (7%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 738 (9%)
Walter Boasso (D) 2,987 (38%)
John Georges (I) 917 (12%)
Foster Campbell (D) 2,861 (36%)
Others 226(6%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 5,928 (85%)
Mike Strain (R) 589 (8%)
Wayne Carter (R) 225 (3%)
Don Johnson (R) 227 (3%)

House District 17 has been represented by African-Americans for years. It corrals the African-American neighborhoods in Monroe, which are mostly south of I-20 in Ouachita Parish. It is overwhelmingly (87%) African-American, and has been so for years. It has almost exactly the same number of voters as it did in 2003.

Democrats have little to fear in this district. Not only do they routinely win here with about 90% of the vote, but John Kerry’s 86-13% percentage was exceeded by only 6 state house districts. Even with the Democrats split in the Senate race in 2004, David Vitter still ran a distant third here with 11% of the vote.

The district has had very steady representation in the state House. African-American Democrat C.D. Jones was elected here in 1980, and served for three terms. He left to run for the state Senate in 1991 in a newly-created African-American state Senate district. He was succeeded by fellow African-American Democrat Willie Hunter who, after receiving 51% of the vote in the primary, has been unopposed since.

Representative Hunter was term-limited in 2007 and unsuccessfully sought Charles Jones’ open state Senate seat. He was replaced by African-American Democrat Rosalind Jones (Charles Jones’ daughter), who was elected in the primary with 55% of the vote.