Damon Baldone (D)
Term limited in 2011
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 4,965 (53%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 4,334 (47%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 6,778 (57%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 5,205 (43%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 9,874 (62%)
John Kerry (D) 5,765 (36%)
Others 221 (2%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 7,999 (55%)
Chris John (D) 3,823 (26%)
Others 2,816 (19%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 1,331 (27%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 1,181 (23%)
Mike Francis (R) 1,018 (20%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 917 (18%)
Others 597 (12%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 5,721 (56%)
Walter Boasso (D) 1,805 (18%)
John Georges (I) 1,886 (18%)
Foster Campbell (D) 598 (6%)
Others 270 (2%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 5,721 (56%)
Walter Boasso (D) 1,805 (18%)
John Georges (I) 1,886 (18%)
Foster Campbell (D) 598 (6%)
Others 270 (2%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 4,387 (45%)
Mike Strain (R) 2,826 (29%)
Wayne Carter (R) 1,831 (19%)
Don Johnson (R) 612 (6%)

House District 53 is a long narrow strip of eastern Terrebonne parish (and an adjacent precinct in Lafourche Parish) stretching from Houma all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. It contains a stable 15% African-American voter population, and has only seen about a 1% growth rate in the last several years.

Politically, this is a swing district. It voted for victorious Republicans like George Bush, “Bobby” Jindal in 2007 and David Vitter with 62, 56%, and 55% of the vote. It also gave 53 and 57% of the vote to Mary Landrieu and Kathleen Blanco. And even though it gave Republican Billy Tauzin III 54% of the vote, this was a low percentage for a Republican whose father lived in the area and represented it in Congress for over two decade.

This district is one of a few state House districts which has had significant turnover in its representation, and has seen quite a few competitive races. Since single-member districts were created over 30 years ago, six Democrats have represented the district. All have run for higher office, with only two of those six getting elected. The current representative, Damon Baldone, was elected in a 2001 special election with 51% of the vote in a runoff after its former representative, Reggie Dupree, was elected to the state Senate in a special election. Rep. Baldone was held to 54% of the vote in the 2003 primary, and then decided to contest the Congressional seat Billy Tauzin vacated in 2004. Though he ran fourth in the primary, he did run first in the district with 37% of the vote. He was re-elected with 57% of the vote against a Republican in 2007.

Given the competitive races the district has had over the years, we see that this seat will be a tossup when Rep. Baldone is term-limited in 2011.