The political balance in Louisiana was heavily affected by the post-Hurricane Katrina departure from New Orleans.
New Orleans remained Democratic, electing Mitch Landrieu as mayor in February 2010.
The first Republicans to serve in the legislature since Reconstruction were not elected until 1964, and both—Morley A. Hudson and Taylor W. O'Hearn—came from Shreveport.
However, this was broken in 2015, when Democrat John Bel Edwards won the governor's race.
Republicans won the first Senate seat since Reconstruction in 2004, with the election of David Vitter.
This primary system is used for state, parish, municipal, and congressional races,[3] but is not used for presidential elections.
[3] Louisiana's unique primary system was instituted in 1975 by Democratic governor Edwin Edwards.
In June 2006, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco signed Senate Bill No.
In 2010, the legislature voted to revert federal elections to the nonpartisan blanket primary system with the passage of House Bill 292, which was signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal on June 25, 2010.
The system was designed by then-Governor Edwin Edwards after he had to run in two grueling rounds of the Democratic Primary in 1971 before facing a general election against a well-funded and well-rested Republican, Dave Treen.
Between the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Shelby County v. Holder (a 2013 Supreme Court case), changes to Louisiana election law required preclearance with the United States Department of Justice.