Robert Adley (D)
Term limited in 2015
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 15,757 (49%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 16,088 (51%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 16,187 (49%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 16,514 (51%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 31,077 (63%)
John Kerry (D) 17,314 (35%)
Others 884 (2%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 26,131 (58%)
Chris John (D) 11,311 (25%)
Others 7,554 (17%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 3,565 (19%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 4,805 (25%)
Mike Francis (R) 6,890 (36%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 1,613 (9%)
Others 2,185 (11%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 16,497 (48%)
Walter Boasso (D) 4,333 (13%)
John Georges (I) 2,871 (8%)
Foster Campbell (D) 9,914 (29%)
Others 479 (1%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 12,684 (40%)
Mike Strain (R) 10,162 (32%)
Wayne Carter (R) 6,271 (20%)
Don Johnson (R) 2,531 (8%)

Senate District 36 is located in Northwest Louisiana and contains a mixture of suburbs and rural areas. It contains all of Bienville and Webster Parishes, plus parts of Bossier, Claiborne, and Red River Parishes. There is basically an urban/rural split here both demographically and politically. In demographic terms, the suburban precincts of Bossier away from the Red River are 15% black and cast 44% of the vote (up from 40% in 2003) today and can be counted on to support Republicans in contested elections. The rural areas are 35% African-American and lean Democratic in most elections, although in 2004, both George Bush and David Vitter received over 50% of the vote in the rural parishes. Future trends clearly favor the Republicans, as the Bossier Parish precincts have 11% more voters than they did in 2003 (over four times the statewide rate of increase), while the rural areas lost about 2% of their voter population. Overall, the district has seen an increase of 4% in its voter population, while the African-American influence has dropped from 28 to 27%, thanks to strong growth in Bossier Parish.

Overall, the district leans Republican, but not overwhelmingly. Suzy Terrell and “Bobby” Jindal received 51% of the vote in 2003, while Bush and Vitter were victorious with 63-35% and 58-25% percentages. Though “Bobby” Jindal’s support slipped to 48% of the vote in 2007, that was due to the candidacy of former state senator Foster Campbell, which drew 29% support here – the only two parishes he carried were in the district.

The district’s conservative leanings in elections, however, were not reflected in its state Senate representation for some time. From 1975 to his election to the Public Service Commission in 2002, populist Democrat Foster Campbell represented the area and re-elected by wide margins. When his seat opened up after his election to the Public Service Commission, former state representative Robert Adley, a conservative Democrat, was elected in the runoff with 68% of the vote (and 75% of the vote in Bossier Parish). He was unopposed for re-election in 2003.

Senator Adley is allowed two more terms under the state’s term-limits law. He easily defeated his Republican opponent (a 21 year old college student) with 73% of the vote. We rate this seat as a “Democratic hold” as long as Adley is the incumbent. When he retires, the increasing influence of Bossier Parish leads us to rate this district as “leans Republican.”