Challengers defeated two incumbents in Louisiana’s Oct. 14 statewide primary — one in the Louisiana House of Representatives and the other in the Louisiana State Senate. Those incumbents are:
• Jonathan Goudeau (R) – House District 31
• Robert Mills (R) – Senate District 36
Two incumbents also lost in the 2019 primaries, one Democrat from the state Senate and one House Republican. In 2015, three incumbents lost election — two House Democrats and one House Republican — while one Senate Democrat lost in 2011.
In addition to the one incumbent defeated in the state House, 31 incumbents — 24 Republicans, six Democrats, and one independent — did not seek re-election, meaning at least 32 newcomers will be elected to the 105-person chamber in November. Looking at the state Senate, in addition to the one incumbent defeated, 11 incumbents — nine Republicans and two Democrats — did not seek re-election, meaning at least 12 newcomers will be elected to the 39-person chamber next month.
In Louisiana 2.0% of incumbents who filed (102) lost re-election. Compared to the other three states that held primaries this year, Louisiana ranks third, with seven incumbents losing in Mississippi (1), six in Virginia (2), and one in New Jersey (4).
In 2023 state legislative primaries, 16 incumbents lost to challengers, 3.6% of incumbents running for re-election. Ten of those incumbents were Republicans, while six were Democrats. The total number of incumbents who lost to primary challengers — 16 — is down from 17 in 2019, the last time all four states held elections, representing a 6% decrease.
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