Rob Marionneaux (D)
Term limited in 2011
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 23,402 (59%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 16,542 (41%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 27,605 (60%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 18,749 (40%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 29,701 (52%)
John Kerry (D) 26,332 (47%)
Others 608 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 24,259 (45%)
Chris John (D) 16,760 (31%)
Others 12,839 (24%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 10,841 (45%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 8,063 (33%)
Mike Francis (R) 2,880 (12%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 1,021 (4%)
Others 1,390 (6%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 22,714 (47%)
Walter Boasso (D) 10,223 (21%)
John Georges (I) 5,264 (11%)
Foster Campbell (D) 9,121 (19%)
Others 1,303 (3%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 23,773 (52%)
Mike Strain (R) 14,705 (32%)
Wayne Carter (R) 5,139 (11%)
Don Johnson (R) 2,107 (5%)

Senate District 17 forms a semi-circle around East Baton Rouge Parish and, in its various incarnations, has been “the Westside district.” It includes all of Iberville, West Baton Rouge, and Pointe Coupee parishes on the Westside. These parishes cast about 64% of the total vote and have a high African-American population (at least 35% in each parish), the influence of organized labor from the presence of the petrochemical industry, and a strong agricultural influence from the sugarcane farms here. The district then crosses the Mississippi River and includes all of East Feliciana and part of St. Helena Parishes. These areas are rural, with several governmental institutions up here, and a large African-American population. Finally, the district includes the northwest corner of East Baton Rouge Parish. This area (also known as Central) is predominately white conservative, and recently incorporated itself into Central City as a first step towards getting its own independent school district, which is now, as of July 1, 2007, a reality.

Overall the district has a Democratic edge from the combination of African-Americans (37% of the vote here), unionized plant workers, government employees, and sugarcane farmers. However, there is a fairly significant Republicans presence here, especially in the portion of East Baton Rouge Parish in the district. And while the district overall has grown at slightly less than the statewide rate, the East Baton Rouge portion has grown nearly 5% since 2003.

Republicans are competitive in national races here, while there is a definite Democratic tilt in statewide races. Bush, Vitter, and Jindal (in 2007) carried the district with 52-47%, 45-31%, and 47-21% margins. Mary Landrieu and Kathleen Blanco both received about 60% share of the vote in their races.

For a period of time in the 1990s, the district had turbulent politics. From 1967-1991, the district was entirely rural populist Democratic, and J. E. Jumonville Sr (and Jr) represented the district. After the 1991 reapportionment, enough high income neighborhoods from south Baton Rouge were added to make the district politically competitive, and Democratic veterinarian Tom Greene upset Jumonville 51-49% in the 1991 runoff. The Baton Rouge neighborhoods clearly provided his margin of victory (he received 69% there), because Jumonville still received 55% of the vote from Westside parishes in that contest. As a conservative reformist, Greene faced a tough re-election in 1995, particularly since Jumonville sought a rematch. Though Senator Greene widened his victory percentage to 58%, he only received 52% of the vote in the Westside, while getting 78% of the vote in East Baton Rouge. Senator Greene switched to the Republican party shortly thereafter, but retired in 1999 to challenge Mike Foster in the 1999 governor’s race (he received 3% of the vote in the primary).

Tom Greene’s retirement resulted in a competitive race to succeed him in 1999, with two politically connected Democrats and Republican political newcomer Tim Johnson vying for the seat. Though Tim Johnson had the endorsement of Mike Foster, Tom Greene, and the defeated Democratic candidate Clyde Kimball in the runoff, state representative Rob Marionneaux eked out a 51-49% victory in the runoff by carrying the Westside with 57%, even while only receiving 30% of the vote in East Baton Rouge Parish. Curiously, a record 1,066 people absentee voted in Pointe Coupee, and Rob Marionneaux received 78% of that vote. This absentee vote figure in a low-turnout race (which was Marionneaux’s margin of victory) has not been exceeded before or since.

Tim Johnson sought a rematch in 2003, but was not helped by the 2001 redistricting, which added more Democratic rural territory and swapped the affluent neighborhoods near LSU for Central, which was not familiar with either candidate. Additionally, another Westside Republican jumped into the race, splitting the “anti-Marionneaux vote.” Marionneaux was comfortably re-elected 62-29%, receiving not only a solid 64-27% in the Westside and rural parishes, but trailing only 43-45% in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Sen. Marrioneaux was easily re-elected in 2007 with 83% of the vote, and is allowed to serve until 2011. We rate this seat as a “likely Democratic hold” in 2011 because the district surrounds Baton Rouge on three sides. This easy access to downtown Baton Rouge via I-10 and Highway 190 makes the Westside potential suburbia someday, especially as Livingston and Ascension Parishes fill up.