Dale Erdey (R)
Term limited in 2019
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 10,553 (31%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 23,478 (69%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 13,486 (35%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 24,683 (65%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 42,834 (79%)
John Kerry (D) 11,216 (21%)
Others 420 (0%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 36,521 (70%)
Chris John (D) 8,017 (15%)
Others 7,840 (15%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 11,232 (59%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 2,822 (15%)
Mike Francis (R) 3,340 (18%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 764 (4%)
Others 859 (4%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 26,941 (70%)
Walter Boasso (D) 3,865 (10%)
John Georges (I) 3,441 (9%)
Foster Campbell (D) 3,889 (10%)
Others 351 (1%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 10,563 (28%)
Mike Strain (R) 18,034 (49%)
Wayne Carter (R) 6,913 (19%)
Don Johnson (R) 1,622 (4%)

Before 1995, Republican representation in the legislature, particularly the state Senate, was generally limited to affluent neighborhoods in metro New Orleans and Baton Rouge. That changed in 1995, as Republican challengers unseated several veteran Democratic state senators. This upheaval was caused by an unfolding video poker scandal, disgust at the performance of the fourth Edwards administration, and increasing suburbanization in some areas. Senate District 13 was at the epicenter of this upheaval.

Senate District 13 was created after the 1981 reapportionment, and has included all or parts of four parishes in the Florida Parishes at various times. In its current incarnation, it includes Livingston Parish north of I-12 (and several suburbanizing precincts south of I-12). It then crosses the Amite River to include most of Central, as well as suburban neighborhoods on either side of I-12 between the Amite River and Sherwood Forest Boulevard. It has the smallest (6%, up from 5% in 2003) African-American voter population in the whole state and is also the third fastest growing (over 11% growth) state Senate district in Louisiana. While the one third of the district in East Baton Rouge Parish grew at about the statewide rate, the Livingston Parish portion grew at a whopping 14%.

The current demographics are favorable to the Republicans, and Republicans can count on receiving at least two thirds of the vote in contested elections. Suzy Terrell’s 69% and George Bush’s 79% were the best percentages out of all state Senate districts. David Vitter’s 70% and Bobby Jindal’s 65% (70% in 2007) were also among the highest statewide percentages received in any state Senate district.

While the district is currently heavily Republican, it was not always this way, and the demographic changes were reflected in recent election results. From 1981 to 1995, Baker Democrat Mike Cross represented the area, While he received nearly 60% of the vote in his 1987 and 1991 re-election efforts, he was upset 53-47% by Republican Mike Branch in the 1995 primary. In that race, Livingston Parish still voted Democratic, but Branch received 60% of the vote in East Baton Rouge Parish. Branch retired after a term, and was replaced by a fellow Republican, then-state Representative Clo Fontenot (who, coincidentally, also defeated a Democratic incumbent in 1995). In that race, Fontenot ran against a fellow Republican, Metrocouncilman Joe Greco from East Baton Rouge Parish, and defeated him 70-30%. Sen. Fontenot was unopposed for re-election in 2003.

Though Senator Fontenot was not term-limited until 2011, he chose to retire in 2007. State Representative Dale Erdey, a Republican, quickly jumped into the race and became Senator-elect after no one bothered to file against him. This is a safe Republican seat – since the last time there were statewide elections, the Democratic voter registration edge has declined from 44-33% to 39-36% - a significant change in four years.