Herbert Dixon (D)
Term limited in 2019
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 6,542 (73%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 2,461 (27%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 7,602 (76%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 2,384 (24%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 4,556 (33%)
John Kerry (D) 9,169 (66%)
Others 190 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 3,645 (28%)
Chris John (D) 5,770 (45%)
Others 3,477 (27%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 971 (15%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 3,469 (52%)
Mike Francis (R) 1,126 (17%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 425 (6%)
Others 651 (10%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 2,541 (31%)
Walter Boasso (D) 2,833 (34%)
John Georges (I) 1,390 (17%)
Foster Campbell (D) 1,278 (15%)
Others 223 (3%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 4,756 (62%)
Mike Strain (R) 1,869 (24%)
Wayne Carter (R) 649 (8%)
Don Johnson (R) 421 (5%)

One of the consequences of the application of the Voting Rights Act to 1991’s legislative redistricting was the creation of “super-majority” African-American districts in the Louisiana Legislature. This doubled the numbers of African-Americans in the state house in 1991.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the African-American neighborhoods inside of MacArthur Drive in Alexandria were split between two districts. These areas were consolidated into one district after the 1991 reapportionment, with a tentacle stretching all the way down La 1 to Boyce to pick up the African-American population in that small town.

After the 2000 reapportionment, Boyce was moved to Charlie DeWitt’s district, and a 30% African-American area of Pineville was added. This addition has had minor impact on the district’s demographics, because Pineville only contains about a sixth of the voters.

Since the 1990 and 2000 reapportionment, District 26 has become a solidly Democratic district thanks to its solid (63%, up 2% since 2003) African-American voting majority; Democratic candidates are assured of getting over 70% of the vote here. Even David Vitter only received 28% of the vote here against fragmented Democratic opposition. John Kerry’s 66% of the vote was low for a Democrat.

Since District 26 was reconfigured in 1991, only African-American Democrat Israel “Bo” Curtis has been its representative. Oddly for a North/Central Louisiana incumbent, he has received significant challenges and has never exceeded 63% of the vote; twice (in 1991 and 2003), he was forced into a runoff and received less than 55% of the vote both times.

Representative Curtis was term-limited in 2007, and was succeeded by fellow African-American Democrat Herbert Dixon, who nearly won the seat in 2003. We rate this district as a “Democratic hold” due to its current and future demographics – George Bush’s 33% of the vote here last year was a “high water mark” for Republicans.