Jane Smith (R)
Term limited in 2011
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 4,176 (37%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 7,168 (63%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 3,463 (32%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 7,309 (68%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 13,251 (74%)
John Kerry (D) 4,549 (25%)
Others 162 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 11,148 (69%)
Chris John (D) 2,993 (19%)
Others 1,985 (12%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 1,255 (24%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 800 (15%)
Mike Francis (R) 2,400 (45%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 370 (7%)
Others 461 (9%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 7,240 (64%)
Walter Boasso (D) 1,059 (9%)
John Georges (I) 1,158 (10%)
Foster Campbell (D) 1,768 (16%)
Others 75 (1%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 2,667 (25%)
Mike Strain (R) 4,288 (40%)
Wayne Carter (R) 2,757 (26%)
Don Johnson (R) 960 (9%)

Anyone looking for examples of the rise of Republican membership in the House would do well to look at House District 8. It is located in Bossier Parish and includes most of the neighborhoods along Airline Drive from Benton to Barksdale Air Force Base, except for a handful of Democratic precincts along I-20 in Bossier City that were placed in neighboring Democratic districts. District 8 can be counted on to support Republicans with 2 and 3 to 1 margins. Suzy Terrell’s 63% here was actually low for a Republican.

This district is one of about a dozen state House districts with a more registered Republicans than registered Democrats, and has grown at three times the statewide rate. Its African American population is relatively low – 14%, which is up from 12% several years ago.

Historically, Democrats represented Bossier Parish in the legislature, and Robert Adley represented the area for 16 years until his unsuccessful run for governor in 1995 (he now represents part of the parish in the state Senate). He generally was unopposed or was re-elected with comfortable margins, although he was held to 50% of the vote in a multi-candidate primary in 1987. When the seat became vacant in 1995, Republican Bob Barton was elected 59-41% over a Democrat. Representative Barton left in 1999 to challenge Republican incumbent state Senator Max Malone. Though he didn’t make the runoff, he did run first in the senate district’s portion of Bossier Parish with 38% of the vote. Rep. Barton was succeeded by another Republican, Jane Smith, who was unopposed in the 1999 primary and received 67% and 62% of the vote against Republicans in 2003 and 2007.

Representative Smith has had little trouble with holding the seat, so we rate this seat as a “Republican hold.” Even when she is term-limited in 2011, a Republican will likely retain the seat.