Lauren Jewett

Lauren Jewett

Democratic Party

Candidate, U.S. House Louisiana District 1

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

University of Rochester, 2009

Graduate

Middlebury College

Personal

Profession

Teacher

Contact

Campaign website

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Lauren Jewett (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Louisiana's 1st Congressional District. She declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Biography

Lauren Jewett earned a B.A. in history and political science from the University of Rochester in 2009 and an M.A. in English from Middlebury College. Jewett's career experience includes working as a special education teacher.

Elections

2026

See also: Louisiana's 1st Congressional District election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for U.S. House Louisiana District 1

Incumbent Steve Scalise, Lauren Jewett, Donna Major, and Candida Pagel are running in the general election for U.S. House Louisiana District 1 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Steve Scalise (R)
		Lauren Jewett (D)
	Submit photo	Donna Major (D)
	Submit photo	Candida Pagel (D)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2023

See also: Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education election, 2023

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1

Paul Hollis won election outright against Lauren Jewett in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1 on October 14, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Hollis (R)	71.0	91,633
		Lauren Jewett (D)	29.0	37,385

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 129,018
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Jewett received the following endorsements.

• Democratic Party of Louisiana

2022

See also: Jefferson Parish Public School System, Louisiana, elections (2022)

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

General election for Jefferson Parish School Board District 6

Michael Pedalino defeated Lauren Jewett in the general election for Jefferson Parish School Board District 6 on December 10, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Michael Pedalino (R)	71.6	2,935
		Lauren Jewett (D)	28.4	1,162

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,097
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Jefferson Parish School Board District 6

Michael Pedalino and Lauren Jewett defeated Eric Moore and incumbent Diane Schnell in the primary for Jefferson Parish School Board District 6 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Michael Pedalino (R)	29.2	3,590
✔		Lauren Jewett (D)	27.9	3,426
		Eric Moore (R)	27.8	3,416
		Diane Schnell (R)	15.1	1,850

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,282
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Jewett's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Lauren Jewett has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Lauren Jewett asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Lauren Jewett, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 24,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

You can ask Lauren Jewett to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing hello@laurenjewett.com.

2023

Lauren Jewett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Jewett's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Lauren is running for BESE because she is somebody who understands and relates to the beauty and complexities of teaching and learning. Lauren Jewett is a National Board Certified elementary special education teacher, advocate, union member, and community volunteer with extensive experience in education, mentoring, policy work, and non-profit and civic organizations. She in her fourteenth year of teaching special education and has worked in schools in St. John the Baptist Parish and Orleans Parish where she has been an active teachers’ union member. Lauren is a Mentor Teacher in the state of Louisiana and during her career in education, she has served as a special education administrator and coordinator. She was a 2019 ASCD Emerging Leader and 2019-2020 Understood Teacher Fellow, and she has written articles for ASCD’s In-Service blog, Understood.Org, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards blog “The Standard,” and the U.S. Department of Education "Homeroom." She is a K-12 public school graduate, holds a BA in history and political science with a minor in American Sign Language from the University of Rochester, and holds a MA in English Literature from the Middlebury College Bread Loaf School of English where she is an involved member of the Bread Loaf Teacher Network.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Fight for Public Transparency and Accountability: I believe that an effective BESE member will work with our community members to generate solutions. I have also developed skills for understanding how to uphold state and federal special education laws. The public must be given authentic opportunities to be part of our education system and to specifically understand the way money is spent and managed, the way contracts are agreed upon, and the way BESE's decisions and our state legislature's education policies impact children, educators, and families.
• Prioritize Achievement, Safety, and Equity for All Children: As an educator, I believe we must ensure that our children's literacy levels are proficient and that graduation rates reflect authentic and meaningful coursework completion. I also believe that preparing our students to interact with our ever-changing world in curious, courageous, and empathetic ways is imperative. I will stand strong in efforts to ensure BESE embraces and enacts policies that affirm, value, and honor the contributions and identities of all of our students & their communities. Students should also feel physically and emotionally safe while at school, and I will work to address these needs if elected as a BESE member.
• Advocate for Teacher & School Staff Quality and Salary Increases: Part of BESE's vision statement is that "families and individuals from across the nation are attracted to the state." We cannot create a state worth living in unless our education system is robust and that starts with having qualified, trained, and well-compensated teachers and school staff in our schools. As a BESE member, I will advocate for increased and competitive pay for teachers and school staff, specifically ensuring that this year's education funding is secured into next year’s MFP (minimum foundation program), the funding mechanism for Louisiana K-12 education. I will also work to ensure standards for holistic evaluation protocols.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Lauren is passionate about equity for all students and addressing mental health and wellness supports for students and teachers. As a career special education teacher, she is interested in improving the education of students with disabilities and students who identify as neurodivergent, and also advocacy around sustainable working conditions for educators and a quality, well-trained, and well-supported teaching force.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Louisiana Democratic Party/Democratic State Central Committee
Independent Women's Organization (IWO) of Greater New Orleans

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Jewett's campaign website stated the following:

“	Advocating For The Schools Our Students Deserve As a school board candidate, my campaign is focused on making decisions using a whole-child, whole-teacher, and whole-leader approach. This means shifting our "conversation about education from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that promotes the long term development and success of children" as well as the adults that support them (ASCD). We advocate for the schools our students deserve by ensuring that students, teachers, and support staff in each school and each community feel healthy, safe, affirmed, valued, engaged, supported, and challenged. Below is more detailed information about the issues and priorities I focused on in my platform as a candidate for BESE, District 1. Fight for Public Transparency and Accountability: Throughout my career as a special education teacher, I have developed a passion and skill set around building strong collaborative partnerships with teachers, school support staff, administrators, students, families, and caregivers in my school community. Cultivating empathetic relationships with my students' IEP teams has taught me the importance of consensus and listening. I believe that an effective BESE member does not have all of the solutions to every problem or issue that surfaces and that it is important to listen to and work with our community members to generate solutions. I have also developed skills for understanding how to uphold state and federal special education laws. The public must be given authentic opportunities to be part of our education system and to specifically understand the way money is spent and managed, the way contracts are agreed upon, and the way BESE's decisions and our state legislature's education policies impact children, educators, and families. To that end, I support democratic structures that allow for public testimony during board meetings, consistent lines of communication between BESE and the public, and clear oversight. BESE is stronger when we listen and take into account everyone's input on important votes and matters. Prioritize Achievement, Safety, and Equity for All Children: BESE states that its philosophy is that "every child is valued and every child will learn, and the future of the state and its quality of life depends on an educated citizenry." As an educator, I believe we must ensure that our children's literacy levels are proficient and that graduation rates reflect authentic and meaningful coursework completion. I also believe that preparing our students to interact with our ever-changing world in curious, courageous, and empathetic ways is imperative. I will stand strong in efforts to ensure BESE embraces and enacts policies that affirm, uplift, value, and honor the contributions and identities of all of our students, their communities, and their cultures. Students should also feel physically and emotionally safe while at school, and I will work to address these needs if elected as a BESE member. Advocate for Teacher & School Staff Quality and Salary Increases: Like many school districts across the U.S., school districts in Louisiana are currently facing classroom teacher and school staff vacancies and shortages. Louisiana's educational professionals often contemplate leaving their job because of low pay and stressful working conditions. Part of BESE's vision statement is that "families and individuals from across the nation are attracted to the state." We cannot create a state worth living in unless our education system is robust and that starts with having qualified, trained, and well-compensated teachers and school staff in our schools. Over the past few years, Louisiana has passed teacher and school staff pay raises. However, we have consistently trailed behind the educator pay raises that other neighboring states have passed. This past legislative session, the legislature voted to pay educators one-time stipends rather than permanent pay raises. As a school board member, I will advocate for increased and competitive pay for teachers and school staff, specifically ensuring that this year's education funding is secured into next year’s MFP (minimum foundation program), the funding mechanism for Louisiana K-12 education. I will also work to ensure there are standards in place to create holistic evaluation protocols as well as fair and sustainable working conditions that treat our educators with professionalism and dignity. Protect Public Education: I believe it is important that options exist in our education system, however it is important that the public good of public education remain a viable choice for our students, families, and communities. Additionally, we must ensure that any educational choice offered in our state is subject to the same laws and regulations that apply to public schools. There needs to be appropriate oversight of the academic and financial functioning of schools such as charters and private schools that receive public funding (i.e. vouchers), and such schools should not create economic disparities and inequitable academic outcomes for students, families, and our communities. Support Mental Health of Students, Teachers, and School Staff: Student achievement and learning progress are big priorities, but they must be addressed alongside the mental and emotional health of students and teachers. Our students and educators have continued to push through extraordinary and uncertain circumstances both with COVID and hurricanes as well as witness events in our constantly evolving world. I will advocate for proper and adequate resources so that our school systems can address and respond to trauma and facilitate ongoing healing. This means more emphasis on anti-bullying and social skills initiatives, more social workers and guidance counselors in schools, more wrap-around supports, sustainable workloads for our educators, and supports that address families' needs.	”
—Lauren Jewett's campaign website (2023)

2022

Lauren Jewett completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Jewett's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Lauren Jewett is a National Board Certified elementary special education teacher, advocate, union member, and community volunteer with extensive experience in education, mentoring, policy work, and non-profit and civic organizations. She in her fourteenth year of teaching special education and has worked in schools in St. John the Baptist Parish and Orleans Parish where she has been an active teachers’ union member. Lauren is a Mentor Teacher in the state of Louisiana and during her career in education, she has served as a special education administrator and coordinator. She was a 2019 ASCD Emerging Leader and 2019-2020 Understood Teacher Fellow, and she has written articles for ASCD’s In-Service blog, Understood.Org, and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards blog “The Standard.” She is a K-12 public school graduate and holds a BA in history and political science with a minor in American Sign Language from the University of Rochester. She is currently pursuing an MA in English from the Middlebury College Bread Loaf School of English where she is an involved member of the Bread Loaf Teacher Network.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Mental Health of Students, Teachers, and School Staff: Student achievement and learning progress are big priorities, but they must be addressed alongside the mental and emotional health of students and teachers. Our students and educators have continued to push through extraordinary and uncertain circumstances both with COVID and Hurricane Ida as well as witness events in our constantly evolving world. I will advocate for proper and adequate resources such as more wrap-around supports and social workers/guidance counselors so that our schools can address and respond to trauma and facilitate ongoing healing.
• Safe, Innovative, and Well-Maintained School Facilities: The environment our students learn in and our educators and school staff work in is vital to academic success, emotional wellness, and professional safety. I will advocate as a school board member to ensure policies are brought forth to ensure school buildings and facilities in Jefferson Parish Schools are safe, well-maintained, and up-to-date and that issues that arise are communicated with transparency, urgency, and empathy.
• Staff Retention and Recruitment: Like many school districts in different parts of Louisiana and the U.S., Jefferson Parish Public Schools are currently facing classroom teacher, paraprofessional/PSRP, and leader vacancies and shortages. This directly impacts our students- it can affect their academic achievement, their behavior, their well-being, and their success. Attrition of school employees is related to pay, but it also related other issues such as burnout, lack of autonomy and professional respect, and not having the proper educational materials/resources.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Lauren is passionate about equity for all students and addressing mental health and wellness supports for students and teachers. As a career special education teacher, she is interested in improving the education of students with disabilities and students who identify as neurodivergent, and also advocacy around sustainable working conditions for educators.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Lauren Jewett campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Louisiana District 1	Candidacy Declared general	$8,223	$871
2023	Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1	Lost primary	$27,869	$25,999
Grand total			$36,093	$26,870
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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Footnotes

[show]

Louisiana's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Bill Cassidy (R)

John Kennedy (R)

Representatives

District 1

Steve Scalise (R)

District 2

Troy Carter (D)

District 3

Clay Higgins (R)

District 4

Mike Johnson (R)

District 5

Julia Letlow (R)

District 6

Cleo Fields (D)

Republican Party (6)

Democratic Party (2)