Joseph Lopinto (R)
Term limited in 2019
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 3,756 (32%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 7,886 (68%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 3,210 (26%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 8,957 (74%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 12,036 (72%)
John Kerry (D) 4,609 (27%)
Others 162 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 11,966 (73%)
Chris John (D) 2,318 (14%)
Others 2,011 (13%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 2,297 (45%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 757 (15%)
Mike Francis (R) 598 (12%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 1,103 (21%)
Others 371 (7%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 7,706 (75%)
Walter Boasso (D) 865 (8%)
John Georges (I) 1,254 (12%)
Foster Campbell (D) 333 (3%)
Others 78 (2%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 2,171 (22%)
Mike Strain (R) 5,695 (59%)
Wayne Carter (R) 1,457 (15%)
Don Johnson (R) 384 (4%)

House District 80 is in the heart of Metairie in Jefferson Parish and is shaped like a dog’s face. The “ears” touch Esplanade on the north, the “chin” touches Airline Highway, and is roughly located between Causeway and Transcontinental. It typically gives Republicans about 70% of the vote in contested statewide elections, with a remarkably steady range of support between 68 and 75% of the vote.

The district itself is mostly white, although it’s worth noting that the African-American voter registration has steadily increased from 5 to 8% of the electorate in recent years, with most of that increase coming from several precincts near I-10. Since this area has been settled for some time, it has seen little population growth in recent years, and in fact has lost 3% of its voters since the election, all of which has occurred since Katrina.

This district is one of a handful of districts that has had Republican representation since the Treen administration. Charles Lancaster was first elected in 1980 as a Republican, and has served as its representative ever since. He has generally been re-elected by comfortable percentages, and has not had Democratic opposition since 1987, when he was held to 63% of the vote.

Representative Lancaster was term-limited in 2007. In something of an upset, attorney and former sheriff’s deputy Joe Lopinto upset former sheriff’s deputy (and nephew of Harry Lee) Glenn Lee with 59% of the vote. It probably did not hurt that Lopinto had the endorsement of the Alliance for Good Government.

There was some damage from Hurricane Katrina in the form of some flooding and wind damage, but the area has mostly recovered. The district has lost about 1,100 voters since Katrina, however, which we see as part of a broader trend of out migration from the flood-prone areas of metropolitan New Orleans.