D.A. “Butch” Gautreaux (D)
Term limited in 2011
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 16,156 (52%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 15,106 (48%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 21,008 (56%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 16,667 (44%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 30,583 (59%)
John Kerry (D) 20,552 (40%)
Others 669 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 24,856 (51%)
Chris John (D) 14,209 (29%)
Others 9,459 (20%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 5,610 (30%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 4,791 (25%)
Mike Francis (R) 4,952 (26%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 2,122 (11%)
Others 1,425 (8%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 20,266 (54%)
Walter Boasso (D) 8,057 (22%)
John Georges (I) 5,279 (14%)
Foster Campbell (D) 2,664 (7%)
Others 975 (3%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 16,226 (47%)
Mike Strain (R) 11,458 (33%)
Wayne Carter (R) 5,067 (15%)
Don Johnson (R) 1,884 (5%)

Senate District 21 is located in the southern fringes of the state and contains all of St. Mary and Assumption parishes. It also contains two precincts in St. Martin Parish, the northwest portion of Terrebonne Parish outside of Houma, and the western fringe of Lafourche Parish on the outskirts of Thibodaux. It contains a stable 26% African-American voter population, mostly concentrated in the sugarcane and plantation parishes of Assumption and St. Mary. The district has grown at about the statewide average, with slight losses in voters in Assumption and St. Mary Parishes, while the suburban fringe in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes have grown about 10%.

Politically, this is a swing district. It gave George Bush, David Vitter, and “Bobby” Jindal (in 2007) about the same percentage as their statewide averages. However, it also gave Mary Landrieu her statewide average in her 2002 Senate re-election race, supported Kathleen Blanco with an above average 56% of the vote against Bobby Jindal in 2003, and provided the margin of victory for Democrat Charlie Melancon’s Congressional race (he received 53% district-wide). All three Democratic victories had one common thread: running strongly enough in Democratic Assumption Parish and the “swing” parish of St. Mary, since they together cast two-thirds of the district’s vote. In Mary Landrieu’s race, the Mexican sugar issue enabled her to score an impressive 67% in Assumption and 50% in St. Mary Parish. Kathleen Blanco’s Acadian origins enabled her to receive 60% or better in Assumption, St. Mary, and St. Martin parishes. Charlie Melancon benefited from 78% hometown support in Assumption Parish, while the fallout from the bitter primary fight between “Little Billy” Tauzin and Senator Craig Romero helped Melancon receive 49% of the vote in St. Mary Parish.

The district tends to support its local legislators, although their tenures have not been very long. For 12 years, Morgan City Democrat Tony Guarisco represented the district until Democratic businessman Mike Foster defeated him 64-36% in 1987. Foster was handsomely re-elected with 85% of the vote in 1991, then retired in 1995 to make a successful run for Governor as a Republican. Foster’s promotion to Governor enabled state representative John Siracusa, a Morgan City Democrat, to run for the seat. However, the Foster candidacy seemed to have some coattail effects, as Rep. Siracusa defeated Republican Johnny Johnson by only a 52-48% margin, and even that was only due to Rep. Siracusa’s 66% support in Assumption Parish. Siracusa served for one term, and was succeeded by another Democratic state representative from Morgan City, “Butch” Gautreaux, who won with 60% of the vote in a multi-candidate primary, and was re-elected with 88% of the vote in 2003 and 71% of the vote in 2007.

Senator Gautreaux is allowed to serve one more term before term-limits force him to retire. We rate this seat as a “likely Democratic hold”, although it’s worth noting that a Republican nearly won the seat in 1995. Plus, recent population trends favor the portions of Terrebonne and Lafourche in the district, as their influence has increased from 33 to 36% in the past few years.