Yvonne Dorsey (D)
Term limited in 2007
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 6,506 (83%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 1,298 (17%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 5,958 (76%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 1,919 (24%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 2,979 (25%)
John Kerry (D) 8,902 (74%)
Others 124 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 2,633 (23%)
Chris John (D) 4,814 (42%)
Others 4,039 (35%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 976 (38%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 1,166 (46%)
Mike Francis (R) 187 (7%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 91 (4%)
Others 128 (5%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 1,634 (24%)
Walter Boasso (D) 1,877 (28%)
John Georges (I) 1,282 (19%)
Foster Campbell (D) 1,781 (26%)
Others 178 (3%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 4,025 (64%)
Mike Strain (R) 1,355 (21%)
Wayne Carter (R) 563 (9%)
Don Johnson (R) 366 (6%)

A visitor coming to Baton Rouge by way of the “new” Mississippi River Bridge is likely to notice the three major landmarks: Exxon Refinery, Downtown, and LSU.

The area surrounding these landmarks makes up District 67. It starts in North Baton Rouge near Exxon and moves south down Plank Road to include downtown and part of City Park. From there, it stretches further south through “old South Baton Rouge” to include most of LSU campus. The district also includes student housing south of LSU and the more affluent subdivisions off of Brightside.

Technically, District 67 is an inner-city district, but 12% growth in areas south of LSU has caused the district’s minority population to decrease from 66 to 64%. This downward trend is likely to continue with further downtown development. (A 36 story luxury condominium overlooking the river is in the works.)

These changes have not made much of an impact in the district’s partisan preference because voters downtown and near LSU tend to be more liberal than voters across town. Landrieu and Blanco easily received over 75% of the vote here. John Kerry won 74-25%, and David Vitter came in 3rd place with 23%. Chris John won here with 42%, and John Kennedy received 28%.

The demographic changes have not yet registered in legislative races either. This district tends to re-elect its representatives, but not without a contest. In legislative races since 1987, the victor has received between 51 and 64% of the vote. These are comfortable margins, but not a huge landslide.

Rep. Dorsey is term-limited in 2007 and is running for Cleo Fields’ term-limited state Senate seat with his endorsement, as his candidacy was successfully challenged under the term-limits law. Three Democrats are seeking the seat: attorney David Brown, Metrocouncilwoman Lorri Burgess, and School Board member Pat Smith. This race is interesting because the demographic changes mentioned above give David Brown a fighting chance if he can attract a portion of the African-American vote. And it doesn’t hurt that this is his first attempt at a political office, while Smith and Haynes have both run for the Legislature before and lost.