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Louisiana's 5th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 16 Republican primary)

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← 2024
Louisiana's 5th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: February 13, 2026
Primary: May 16, 2026
Primary runoff: June 27, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Louisiana

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Louisiana's 5th Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th
Louisiana elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Republican Party primary takes place on May 16, 2026, in Louisiana's 5th Congressional District to determine which Republican candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
February 13, 2026
May 16, 2026
November 3, 2026



In Louisiana, rules to participate in primaries vary by the office up for election. For congress, justice of the supreme court, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Public Service Commission, the state uses a semi-closed primary. In these primaries, only unaffiliated voters and voters registered with a party may vote in that party's primary. For all other statewide offices—including state senator and representative—Louisiana uses the majority-vote system. In this system, if a candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for an office, they win the election outright. If, however, no candidate reaches that threshold, a second round of voting is held between the top two vote-getters. Any registered voter can participate in both the first-round and second-round elections.[1][2]


This page focuses on Louisiana's 5th Congressional District Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Beginning in the 2026 elections, Louisiana elections for U.S. Congress, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education use a closed partisan primary and primary runoff system. Candidates for those offices no longer run in majority-vote system primaries.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Louisiana District 5

The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Louisiana District 5 on May 16, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Stewart Cathey
Stewart Cathey
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Misti Cordell
Image of Larry Davis
Larry Davis  Candidate Connection
Image of Rick Edmonds
Rick Edmonds
Image of Joshua Morott
Joshua Morott
Image of Ray Smith
Ray Smith  Candidate Connection
Image of Samuel Wyatt
Samuel Wyatt  Candidate Connection

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Larry Davis

Image of Larry Davis

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Larry Davis is Louisiana’s only America First congressional candidate, running on a platform grounded in constitutional governance, national sovereignty, and Christian conservative principles. A lifelong Louisianan, Davis is committed to restoring accountability in Washington by limiting federal overreach and returning power to states, families, and individuals. His policy priorities include lowering the cost of living through responsible fiscal policy, reduced federal spending, regulatory reform, and expanded domestic energy production. Larry strongly supports American energy independence as a means of strengthening economic stability and national security. He also advocates for secure borders, enforcement of existing immigration laws, and decisive action against drug trafficking and human smuggling. Larry places a strong emphasis on public safety, supporting law enforcement and policies that deter violent crime. In education, he promotes parental rights, transparency, and local control, while opposing federal mandates that undermine those principles. A firm defender of constitutional liberties, Davis supports election integrity measures, term limits for members of Congress, and the protection of First and Second Amendment rights. His campaign is focused on representing the interests of hardworking Louisianans and advancing policies that preserve American values and institutions."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Davis supports the abolition of abortion, advocating for the protection of unborn life and policies that recognize life as beginning at conception.

Davis supports policies that strengthen and expand America’s sovereignty by securing the nation’s borders, enforcing federal law, protecting domestic industries, and opposing foreign influence over U.S. economic, energy, and security decisions.

Davis supports reaffirming America’s Christian heritage and restoring faith as a guiding moral framework for the nation, emphasizing the role of religious liberty, personal responsibility, and ethical leadership in public life.

Ray Smith

Image of Ray Smith

WebsiteFacebookX

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Keep Americans safe. It's the primary goal of the federal government and involves removing undocumented migrants and working with state and local officials to keep our communities safe and secure.

Reduce government spending and prioritize needs while eliminating unnecessary positions and waste.

End wokeness and focus on American values. Treat everyone equally and provide appropriate resources so that every American citizen can succeed.

Samuel Wyatt

Image of Samuel Wyatt

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Dr. Sammy Wyatt is a lifelong distinguished public servant, military veteran, and law enforcement professional dedicated to serving Louisiana and the nation. After honorable service in the U.S. Navy, Dr. Wyatt built a distinguished career in law enforcement, serving over 20 years with the Bossier City Police Department and as a Reserve Deputy in Bossier and Ascension Parishes. He holds an MBA from Centenary College of Louisiana and a Ph.D. from LSU, credentials that support his leadership as Chief Compliance Officer, Risk Management Officer, and Title IX Campus Coordinator at LSU Health-Shreveport. Dr. Wyatt is a Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Healthcare Compliance professional, Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional, and EnCase Certified Examiner, underscoring his expertise in compliance, ethics, and risk management. A proud member of the Fraternal Order of Police and Veterans of Foreign Wars, Dr. Wyatt is guided by faith and conservative values. As a candidate for Congress in Louisiana’s 5th District, he is committed to the America First agenda and to representing Louisiana families with integrity and accountability in Washington, D.C."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Proven Leadership in Service and Safety - Dr. Sammy Wyatt brings over two decades of military and law enforcement experience, demonstrating unwavering dedication to protecting Louisiana families and upholding public safety

Integrity and Accountability in Government - With advanced degrees and multiple professional certifications, Dr. Wyatt is a recognized leader in compliance, ethics, and risk management—committed to fighting fraud, waste, and abuse in public institutions.

Faith-Guided, Conservative Values - Guided by faith and conservative principles, Dr. Wyatt stands for the America First agenda, pledging to represent Louisiana’s 5th District with honesty, transparency, and a focus on family values in Washington, D.C.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Louisiana

Election information in Louisiana: May 16, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: April 15, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by April 15, 2026
  • Online: April 25, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: May 12, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 12, 2026
  • Online: May 12, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: May 15, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 15, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

May 2, 2026 to May 9, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (CT)

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Stewart Cathey Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Misti Cordell Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Larry Davis Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Rick Edmonds Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Joshua Morott Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Ray Smith Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Samuel Wyatt Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2025_01_03_la_congressional_district_05.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+18. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 18 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Louisiana's 5th the 45th most Republican district nationally.[3]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Louisiana's 5th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
31.0%67.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Louisiana, 2024

Louisiana presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 17 Democratic wins
  • 13 Republican wins
  • 2 other wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party D D D D D D D D D D D D SR[4] D R D R AI[5] R D R R R D D R R R R R R R
See also: Party control of Louisiana state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Louisiana's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Louisiana
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 2 2
Republican 2 4 6
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 6 8

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Louisiana's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Louisiana, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorRepublican Party Jeff Landry
Lieutenant GovernorRepublican Party Billy Nungesser
Secretary of StateRepublican Party Nancy Landry
Attorney GeneralRepublican Party Liz Murrill

State legislature

Louisiana State Senate

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 10
     Republican Party 28
     Other 0
     Vacancies 1
Total 39

Louisiana House of Representatives

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 29
     Republican Party 71
     Other 0
     Vacancies 5
Total 105

Trifecta control

Louisiana Party Control: 1992-2025
Eight years of Democratic trifectas  •  Seven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Louisiana in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Louisiana, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Louisiana U.S. House Democratic or Republican 750 $1,500 2/13/2026 Source
Louisiana U.S. House Unaffiliated 750 N/A 2/13/2026 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:410.3," accessed November 12, 2025
  2. ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:401," accessed November 12, 2025
  3. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
  4. ↑ States' Rights Democratic Party
  5. ↑ American Independent Party


Louisiana's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Bill Cassidy (R)
John Kennedy (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
Republican Party (6)
Democratic Party (2)


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