Voters in Louisiana filled three vacant legislative seats Saturday, deciding two runoff races in the New Orleans area and one four-candidate race in the Baton Rouge region. The elections completed the final open positions in the Louisiana Legislature, leaving Republicans with continued supermajorities in both the House and Senate.
Election Results Overview
| District | Winner | Party | Vote Percentage | Seat Previously Held By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House District 69 | Paul Sawyer | Republican | 53% | Paula Davis |
| Senate District 3 | Sidney Barthelemy II | Democrat | 64% | Joe Bouie |
| House District 100 | Dana Henry | Democrat | 53% | Jason Hughes |
Paul Sawyer Wins Baton Rouge-Area Seat
Republican Paul Sawyer won the race for Louisiana House District 69 outright, securing 53% of the vote in a four-candidate contest. His victory allowed him to avoid a runoff election.
Democrat Angela Roberts, a paralegal, finished second with about 40% of the vote.
Sawyer replaces former state Rep. Paula Davis, who resigned from the seat in December with about a year remaining in her term.
Davis did not publicly explain her decision to step down. However, House Speaker Phillip DeVillier removed her from a committee leadership role earlier during Governor Jeff Landry’s administration.
Before entering the race, Sawyer built a political career mostly behind the scenes. He previously served as chief of staff for former U.S. Representatives Garret Graves and Richard Baker and worked with the Louisiana Economic Development agency.
Sidney Barthelemy II Wins Senate District 3 Runoff
In the New Orleans-area Senate District 3 race, Democrat Sidney Barthelemy II defeated attorney Kenn Barnes in a runoff election.
Barthelemy won the contest with about 64% of the vote.
He is a construction company owner and the son of former New Orleans mayor Sidney Barthelemy.
The elder Barthelemy previously served in the Louisiana Senate from 1974 to 1978 before winning an at-large seat on the New Orleans City Council. He later served as mayor of New Orleans from 1986 to 1994.
The younger Barthelemy takes over the seat previously held by Joe Bouie, who left the Legislature to become chancellor of Southern University at New Orleans.
Dana Henry Wins House District 100 Runoff
In the House District 100 race, voters chose between two Democratic candidates.
Attorney Dana Henry defeated fellow attorney Kenya Rounds in the runoff election.
Henry received 53% of the vote to secure the seat.
She replaces former state Rep. Jason Hughes, who recently moved to the New Orleans City Council.
Legislative Balance Remains Unchanged
With the results of these three races finalized, every seat in the Louisiana Legislature is now filled.
Despite the Democratic wins in the two New Orleans-area districts, Republicans continue to hold strong supermajorities in both the Louisiana House and Senate.
This balance of power gives Republicans significant control over legislation and policy decisions in the state government.
