Like in most Southern states between the Reconstruction era and the civil rights movement, Louisiana's Republican Party was virtually nonexistent in terms of electoral support.

He had greatly raised his public profile, in part due to his strategic decision to campaign on behalf of Catholic candidates Edwin S. Broussard and Joseph E. Ransdell in the U.S. Senate races of 1924 and 1926.

Simpson announced his campaign for the next term, but was generally not considered a strong enough candidate to face Long by the Democratic establishment.

Long's seemingly inexhaustible energy gave him an advantage, as he managed to travel extensively across the state, making several stops a day in rural areas neglected by the other candidates.

Simpson and Wilson, offering only bland defenses of the status quo, were often overwhelmed when appearing alongside Long at debates and other campaign events.

Long spent the intervening four years building his reputation and political organization, particularly in the more urban South, which was heavily Roman Catholic due to its French and Spanish heritage.

[1] Thanks to alleged government mismanagement during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, which has been compared to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,[2] Long gained the support of Cajuns, rural Catholics whose land had been heavily affected.

[4] Long developed novel campaign techniques, including the use of sound trucks at mass meetings and radio commercials.

Only New Orleans, still firmly controlled by the Regular Democratic Organization, spurned Long in favor of the machine's chosen candidate Wilson.

Long faced a Republican opponent named Etienne J. Caire, who was a sugar cane farmer and businessman from St. John the Baptist Parish.