Chris Hazel (R)
Term limited in 2019
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 3,736 (33%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 7,636 (67%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 6,183 (49%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 6,398 (51%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 14,875 (78%)
John Kerry (D) 3,864 (20%)
Others 248 (2%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 11,589 (65%)
Chris John (D) 3,848 (22%)
Others 2,328 (13%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 1,395 (22%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 1,152 (18%)
Mike Francis (R) 2,666 (41%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 560 (9%)
Others 650 (10%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 8,246 (60%)
Walter Boasso (D) 2,162 (16%)
John Georges (I) 1,863 (14%)
Foster Campbell (D) 1,241 (9%)
Others 231 (1%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 4,352 (33%)
Mike Strain (R) 5,651 (43%)
Wayne Carter (R) 2,225 (17%)
Don Johnson (R) 947 (7%)

House District 27 is one of two House districts that contain the suburban areas of Alexandria. For years, it contained the areas of Rapides Parish north of the Red River. After Rapides Parish lost population in the 1990s, all of the Rapides Parish-based House districts had to expand geographically to meet the “one man one vote” requirement of reapportionment. In the case of House District 27, this meant the district expanded south across the Red River to pick up the town of Cheneyville, then west along the southern fringes of Rapides to pick up the towns of Forest Hill, Glenmora, and McNairy. These additions did not affect the demographic makeup of the district significantly, since the new areas still cast less than 20% of the total district vote. Overall, the district has a low (7%) African-American voter registration and has seen above-average (4%) growth in the suburban areas north of the Red River.

Generally in contested statewide and federal races, District 27 will support Republicans, but the levels of support vary. George Bush received a solid 78-20% margin here (his 4th best percentage in the state), and David Vitter and Suzy Terrell each received about two-thirds of the vote. However, strong support for Kathleen Blanco in the district’s rural portions (she received 62% in the southern precincts) resulted in “Bobby” Jindal’s narrow 51-49% victory in the district and helped contribute to Kathleen Blanco’s surprise victory in the 2003 gubernatorial runoff. This was somewhat reversed in the 2007 primary, when “Bobby” Jindal garnered a comfortable 60% of the vote.

Curiously, the district has had contested races for years, with no one receiving more than 62% of the vote here since 1983. Democrat Carl Gunter represented the district for 20 years, but remarks he made during an abortion debate extolling the virtues of incest probably contributed to his solid 57-43% defeat by Democrat Rick Farrar. Rep. Farrar was then defeated in the 1995 Republican landslide by Republican Randy Wiggins 51-49%. Randy Wiggins left after one term in a nearly successful run for the state Senate, and the vacant seat was recaptured by Rick Farrar 55-45% over a Republican school board member. Rep. Farrar was re-elected in 2003 with 61% of the vote against an Independent. However, Rep. Farrar’s 2007 re-election bid ran into the twin headwinds of the Bobby Jindal campaign and aggressive opposition from Republican assistant district attorney Chris Hazel, resulting in a thumping 62-38% loss. Assuming that Rep. Hazel serves his three terms, he should have little trouble seeking re-election, but the district’s turbulent electoral history means he can’t take re-election for granted.