Current:Home > ContactDemocrat Cleo Fields wins re-drawn Louisiana congressional district, flipping red seat blue -Mastery Money Tools
Democrat Cleo Fields wins re-drawn Louisiana congressional district, flipping red seat blue
View
Date:2025-04-24 14:50:04
Follow AP’s coverage of the election and what happens next.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Democrat Cleo Fields has won Louisiana’s congressional race in a recently redrawn second majority-Black district, flipping a once reliably Republican seat blue.
Fields’ win means Democrats will hold two congressional seats in the state for the first time in a decade. This is only the second time in nearly 50 years that a Democrat has won in Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District, where new political boundaries were drawn by lawmakers earlier this year.
Fields’ victory returns him to the U.S. House, which he was elected to in 1992, serving two terms. Since then, the 61-year-old state Senator has been a fixture in Louisiana state politics.
Under Louisiana’s open primary system — in which candidates of all parties appear on the Election Day ballot — Fields was able to avoid a runoff by getting more than 50% of the vote. He faced four other candidates, including Elbert Guillory, an 80-year-old Republican and former state senator. Incumbent GOP Congressman, Garret Graves did not seek reelection.
The new congressional map used for the election was crafted by the Republican-dominated Legislature earlier this year with support from new Republican Gov. Jeff Landry after a Supreme Court decision that upheld a new majority Black district in Alabama. The new Louisiana map restored a second majority-Black district to the state, a win for Democrats and civil rights groups after a nearly two-year legal and political battle. It also greatly reduced chances for reelection of Graves, who had supported another Republican instead of Landry in last year’s governor’s race.
The new 6th District boundaries stretch across the state in a narrow and diagonal path, from the state capital, Baton Rouge, to Shreveport in the northwest corner. Black residents account for 54% of its voters, up from 24% previously. Fields is Black.
A lower court ruled that the new map was an illegal racial gerrymander, but in May the Supreme Court ordered Louisiana to use it this year as the time for congressional elections drew near — boosting Democrats’ chances of gaining control of the closely divided House. But the future of the district remains in question. The high court agreed on Nov. 4 to hear arguments that could determine whether the new map is used in future elections.
In addition to the race in the 6th District, all five Louisiana congressional incumbents were reelected to another term — including U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
veryGood! (35789)
Related
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- 1 person is killed after explosion and fire at a hotel in Pennsylvania’s Amish-related tourism area
- Best Clutter-Free Gifts for the People Who Don't Want More Stuff Around
- Purdue back at No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports men's college basketball poll
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Keke Palmer's Ex Darius Jackson Accuses Her of Physical and Verbal Abuse in Response to Restraining Order
- Step by step, Francis has made the Catholic Church a more welcoming place for LGBTQ people
- BP suspends all oil shipments through the Red Sea as attacks escalate
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Bryant Gumbel on wrapping up HBO's Real Sports: I've kind of lived my fantasy life
Ranking
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- Apple is halting sales of its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 devices. Here's why.
- What are your secrets to thriving as you age? We want to hear from you
- Many kids are still skipping kindergarten. Since the pandemic, some parents don’t see the point
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- CIA director William Burns meets Israel's Mossad chief in Europe in renewed push to free Gaza hostages
- Senate Majority Leader Schumer concludes annual tour of every NY county for 25th time
- Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards gives final end-of-year address
Recommendation
Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
Many kids are still skipping kindergarten. Since the pandemic, some parents don’t see the point
Sudan’s conflict reaches a key city that had been a haven for many. Aid groups suspend work or flee
Jonathan Majors’ Marvel ouster after assault conviction throws years of Disney’s plans into disarray
At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
Five children, ages 2 to 13, die in house fire along Arizona-Nevada border, police say
Volcano erupts in Iceland weeks after thousands were evacuated from a town on Reykjanes Peninsula
Rachel Bilson Reflects on Feud With Whoopi Goldberg Over Men’s Sex Lives