Louisiana's 5th Congressional District elections, 2014
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The 5th Congressional District of Louisiana held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014.
Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% 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.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
The district was decided in a general election between Jamie Mayo (D) and Ralph Abraham (R) due to no candidate winning the majority of the votes in the primary election. Abraham defeated Mayo in the general election on December 6, 2014.[4] The 6th Congressional District of Louisiana was the only other district in Louisiana to have a general election.
The district was represented by Vance McAllister (R), who lost his seat by not winning enough votes to participate in the general election. He was elected in a special election on November 16, 2013.[5]
Abraham received a key endorsement from Governor Bobby Jindal (R) before the December general election.[6] He worked as a medical doctor while his opponent, Mayo, was the mayor of Monroe, Louisiana. Both candidates promoted themselves as fiscally responsible.[7]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Voter registration: To vote in the primary, voters had to register by October 6, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was November 5, 2014.[8][9]
- See also: Louisiana elections, 2014
Incumbent: Heading into the election the district was represented by Vance McAllister (R). He was elected in a special election on November 16, 2013.[10]
McAllister announced on April 28, 2014, that he would retire at the end of his term in 2015.[11][12] On June 30, 2014, McAllister announced he would instead leave the decision up to the voters and run for re-election in 2014.[13][14] In April 2014, McAllister was caught kissing a married staffer, which led to calls for his resignation from Republican leadership.[15][16]
Louisiana's 5th Congressional District includes the northeastern portion of the state. The parishes of Avoyelles, Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, Grant, Jackson, La Salle, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Rapides, Richland, Tensas, Washington, West Carroll, West Feliciana, and Winn are included in the district. Portions of East Feliciana, St. Helena, St. Landry and Tangipahoa parishes are also part of the district.[17]
Candidates
- Vance McAllister - Incumbent[11][18]
- Ed Tarpley: Former Grant Parish District Attorney[19][20][21][22]
- Harris Brown[23]
- Ralph Abraham[24]
- Zach Dasher: Nephew of Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson[25]
- Clyde Holloway[26]
Jamie Mayo: Mayor of Monroe[27][28]
Charles Saucier[26]
Eliot Barron[26]
Withdrew
Failed to file
Rumored candidates
Declined to run
Elections
General election results
The 5th Congressional District of Louisiana held a general election for the U.S. House of Representatives on December 6, 2014. Ralph Abraham (R) defeated Jamie Mayo (D) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ralph Abraham |
64.2% | 134,616 | |
| Democratic | Jamie Mayo | 35.8% | 75,004 | |
| Total Votes | 209,620 | |||
| Source: Louisiana Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election results
The 5th Congressional District of Louisiana held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Ralph Abraham (R) and Jamie Mayo (D) secured enough votes to participate in a general election on December 6, 2014. Incumbent Vance McAllister (R) did not receive enough votes to participate in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Vance McAllister Incumbent | 11.11% | 26,606 | |
| Republican | Ralph Abraham |
23.16% | 55,489 | |
| Republican | Harris Brown | 4.13% | 9,890 | |
| Republican | Zach Dasher | 22.39% | 53,628 | |
| Republican | Clyde Holloway | 7.46% | 17,877 | |
| Republican | Ed Tarpley Jr. | 1.92% | 4,594 | |
| Democratic | Jamie Mayo |
28.22% | 67,611 | |
| Libertarian | Charles Saucier | 0.92% | 2,201 | |
| Green | Eliot Barron | 0.69% | 1,655 | |
| Total Votes | 239,551 | |||
| Source: Louisiana Secretary of State | ||||
Polls
General election
| ' | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Vance McAllister | Jamie Mayo | Ralph Abraham | Zach Dasher | Ed Tarpley | Harris Brown | Clay Grant | Margin of Error | Sample Size | ||||||||||
| Glascock Group August 5, 2014 | 27% | 21% | 18% | 14% | 9% | 6% | 5% | +/-- | 519 | ||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Republican primary
| Potential candidates | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Neil Riser (R) | Jamie Mayo (R) | Harris Brown (R) | Bob Johnson (R) | Ed Tarpley (R) | Jay Morris (R) | Adam Terry (R) | Undecided | Sample Size | ||||||||||
| Glascock Group May 9, 2014 | 48% | 14% | 9% | 9% | 8% | 6% | 5% | 1% | 503 | ||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
| Republican primary match-up | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Neil Riser | Vance McAllister | Margin of Error | Sample Size | |||||||||||||||
| Glascock Group April 14, 2014 | 56% | 44% | +/-1 | 1,300 | |||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
| Republican primary match-up | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Chris Hazel | Vance McAllister | Margin of Error | Sample Size | |||||||||||||||
| Glascock Group April 14, 2014 | 52% | 48% | +/-1 | 1,300 | |||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Endorsements
Jamie Mayo
- State Rep. Marcus Hunter endorsed Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo on July 8, 2014, and asked other potential Democratic candidates to “stand down” and consolidate behind Mayo.[36]
Issues
Video kissing staffer
Incumbent Vance McAllister was caught on video kissing a woman believed to be on his congressional staff just before Christmas 2013.[15]
Surveillance video from inside his district office in Monroe, Louisiana, showed McAllister kissing a woman identified by the newspaper as a congressional staffer for McAllister.[15][37]
McAllister's office issued a statement on April 7, 2014:
"There's no doubt I've fallen short and I'm asking for forgiveness. I'm asking for forgiveness from God, my wife, my kids, my staff, and my constituents who elected me to serve. Trust is something I know has to be earned whether you're a husband, a father, or a congressman. I promise to do everything I can to earn back the trust of everyone I've disappointed. From day one, I've always tried to be an honest man. I ran for Congress to make a difference and not to just be another politician. I don't want to make a political statement on this, I would just simply like to say that I'm very sorry for what I've done."[38][39]
McAllister's office said it planned send a letter to House Speaker John Boehner on April 9, 2014, requesting an FBI investigation concerning the leak of the video.[40]
Stronger from scandal
McAllister said in an interview in June 2014 that the scandal made him a stronger man.[41]
"It's made me a better Congressman, and most importantly it's made me a much better father and husband that I ever thought I needed to work on."[41]
GOP reaction
- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said April 8, 2014, that McAllister’s constituents “deserve an apology.”[42]
- “I think that his constituents deserve an apology. I’m glad he issued an apology,” Cantor said.[42]
- On April 29, 2014, Cantor called for McAllister to resign.[43]
- “When we took the majority, I had said that I believe we ought to hold ourselves to a higher standard. And I think what has happened in his instance doesn't meet that standard. So I told (McAllister) that I thought he should resign,” Cantor said.[43]
- Speaker John Boehner said on April 10, 2014, that McAllister had "decisions he has to make. I expect all members to be held to the highest ethical standards.”[44][45]
- Roger F. Villere, Jr. Chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana publicly called on McAllister to resign on April 10, 2014.[46]
- "The Republican Party of Louisiana calls on Vance McAllister to resign his seat in Congress. Mr. McAllister's extreme hypocrisy is an example of why ordinary people are fed up with politics. A breach of trust of this magnitude can only be rectified by an immediate resignation. He has embarrassed our party, our state and the institution of Congress. A video showing him engaged in conduct unbecoming a member of Congress, on public time, in a public office, with one of his employees, was the focus of the national press for days. I call on Mr. McAllister to put the interests of his nation, state and party above his own and step aside. We are praying for Mr. McAllister and the families that are involved. I attempted to resolve this matter privately and directly with Mr. McAllister, but his chief of staff chose to make this information public. Therefore, I have chosen to release this statement today."[46]
- Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal (R) called for McAllister to resign on April 10, 2014.[47][48]
- "Congressman McAllister’s behavior is an embarrassment and he should resign," Jindal said in a statement. "He says he wants privacy to work on his issues with his family. The best way to get privacy and work on putting his family back together is to resign from Congress."[47]
- National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden would not say on April 13, 2014, whether McAllister should have resigned.[49]
- "It's bad. It's wrong. He needs to answer and be held accountable. We should be held to a higher standard than what I've seen in that video," Walden said.[49]
Congressional position
At a Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Monroe, Louisiana, on January 23, 2014, McAllister shared some blunt initial impressions of his position in Congress.[50]
“It sucks. It ain’t no fun. But, the day I start enjoying it in Washington, D.C., is the day that I should come home,” McAllister said[50]
Noteworthy events
McAllister reports
In October 2013, McAllister’s campaign had not electronically filed any of the required campaign finance reports, citing the government shutdown as the reason he had not filed.[51] According to McAllister's campaign, hard copy forms were mailed to the FEC by the required deadlines, even though campaign finance law requires candidates who raise or spend $50,000 or more to file electronically.[51]
Government shutdown
- In a forum on October 8, 2013, at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Marcus Hunter commented on the shutdown, saying it was a result of disagreements over the health-care reform law.[52]
- “They’re tying something to the budget that has nothing to do with the budget. Sometimes you have to tell people, ‘This is not the time to have that fight,'” Hunter said.[52]
- Jamie Mayo also spoke of the shutdown, calling it “ludicrous” and said government leaders should have worked out the problem before allowing the problem to escalate.[52]
- “It’s all about the [Patient Protection and] Affordable Care Act. The American people are being held hostage because one party didn’t get its way,” Mayo said.[52]
- Phillip Weatherly also discussed the issue: “Our politicians have put their job aside. They should have passed a budget. Let’s fix the root cause of this and work together to pass a budget."[52]
Key votes
HR 676
On July 30, 2014, the U.S. House approved a resolution 225 to 201 to sue President Barack Obama for exceeding his constitutional authority. Five Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of Georgia, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Steve Stockman of Texas—voted with Democrats against the lawsuit.[53] McAllister joined the other 224 Republicans in favor of the lawsuit. All Democrats voted against the resolution.[54][55]
Campaign contributions
Vance McAllister
| Vance McAllister (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| Year End Report[56] | January 31, 2014 | $15,493 | $90,048 | $(52,305) | $53,236 | ||||
| April Quarterly[57] | April 15, 2014 | $53,236 | $46,955 | $(91,766) | $8,425 | ||||
| July Quarterly[58] | July 15, 2014 | $9,283 | $59,500 | $(62,204) | $6,579 | ||||
| October Quarterly[59] | October 15, 2014 | $233 | $440,591 | $(247,446) | $193,377 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $637,094 | $(453,721) | ||||||||
Donation refunds
McAllister refunded campaign contributions made by a former staffer he was caught kissing in a surveillance video.[60][61] Campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission in July 2014 showed two refunds of $2,600 each to Melissa Peacock, the former staffer. Also refunded were two $2,600 contributions from Heath Peacock, the woman's husband. The donations were made in October 2013, before he won the special election.[61]
Ed Tarpley
| Ed Tarpley (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| July Quarterly | July 15, 2014 | $0.00 | $30,444 | $(18,727) | $11,717 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $30,444 | $(18,727) | ||||||||
Harris Brown
| Harris Brown (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| July Quarterly | July 15, 2014 | $0.00 | $185,150 | $(2,152) | $232,997 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $185,150 | $(2,152) | ||||||||
Ralph Abraham
| Ralph Abraham 2014 FEC (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| July Quarterly | July 15, 2014 | $0.00 | $111,723 | $(11,071) | $100,657 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $111,723 | $(11,071) | ||||||||
Zach Dasher
| Zach Dasher (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| July Quarterly | July 15, 2014 | $0.00 | $174,455 | $(2,834) | $171,620 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $174,455 | $(2,834) | ||||||||
Clyde Holloway
| Clyde Holloway (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| July Quarterly | July 15, 2014 | $176,743 | $24,881 | $(655) | $200,969 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $24,881 | $(655) | ||||||||
District history
| Candidate ballot access |
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2012
On November 6, 2012, Rodney Alexander (R) won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Clay Steven Grant and Ron Ceasar in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rodney Alexander Incumbent |
77.8% | 202,536 | |
| None | Ron Ceasar | 14.4% | 37,486 | |
| Libertarian | Clay Steven Grant | 7.8% | 20,194 | |
| Total Votes | 260,216 | |||
| Source: Louisiana Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
2010
On November 2, 2010, Rodney Alexander won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Tom Gibbs, Jr. (I) in the general election.[62]
| U.S. House, Louisiana District 5 General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Rodney Alexander incumbent |
78.6% | 122,033 | |
| Independent | Tom Gibbs, Jr. | 21.4% | 33,279 | |
| Total Votes | 155,312 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Louisiana, 2014
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 HOUSE RACE RATINGS FOR June 26, 2014," accessed August 7, 2014
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 House Races," accessed August 7, 2014
- ↑ Fairvote, "FairVote Releases Projections for the 2014 Congressional Elections," accessed August 7, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "Louisiana Runoff Election Results," accessed December 6, 2014
- ↑ WAFB, "5th Congressional District Vance McAllister sworn in," accessed November 21, 2013
- ↑ The Times-Picaynne, "Bobby Jindal endorses Garret Graves, Ralph Abraham in their races for Congress," November 5, 2014
- ↑ The News Star, "5th Congressional District: Mayo, Abraham in runoff," November 4, 2014
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State Website, "Register to Vote," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State Website, "Search Election Dates," accessed September 4, 2014
- ↑ WAFB, "5th Congressional District Vance McAllister sworn in," accessed November 21, 2013
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 NOLA.com, "Vance McAllister won't seek re-election, The News-Star reports ," accessed April 28, 2014 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "notrun" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ The News Star, "UPDATE: McAllister won't seek re-election, will finish term," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Rep. Vance McAllister will run for re-election," accessed July 2, 2014
- ↑ Politix, "'Kissing Congressman' Gets the Last Laugh on Eric Cantor," accessed July 2, 2014
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Politico, "Report: Video shows Vance McAllister kissing staffer," accessed April 7, 2014
- ↑ The Ouachita Citizen, "VIDEO: Rep. Vance McAllister in extramarital embrace," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑ The News Star, "UPDATE: McAllister won't seek re-election, will finish term," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ KALB, "Ed Tarpley, Former DA for Grant Parish, announce Congress bid," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ The New Orleans Advocate, "Both sides gear up to unseat McAllister," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ KNOE, "Tarpley announces intention to run for 5th District seat," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Ed Tarpley to run for Vance McAllister's US House seat," accessed April 16, 2014
- ↑ Shreveport Times, "Monroe businessman Harris Brown to run for 5th District," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ Ralph Abraham for Congress, "Ralph Abraham For Congress," accessed June 3, 2014
- ↑ Daily Journla, "'Duck Dynasty' relative running for Louisiana's 5th District congressional seat in November," accessed June 16, 2014
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 Louisiana Elections and Voting, "Candidate list," accessed August 27, 2014
- ↑ The Town Talk, "Monroe Mayor Mayo to make second run at Congress," accessed July 7, 2014
- ↑ My ARKLAMISS, "UPDATE: Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo Enters 5th Congressional District Race," accessed July 7, 2014
- ↑ Herford for Congress, "Home," accessed January 6, 2014
- ↑ The Town Talk, "Boyce businessman Grant announces run for Congress; Hazel won't run for seat," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ The Town Talk, "Marksville's Rep. Johnson won't rule out 2014 run for Congress," accessed October 24, 2013
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP senator moves toward run for McAllister's House seat," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Vance McAllister's runoff opponent Louisiana state Senator Neil Riser won't rule out run for spot," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ LA Politics, "Riser Will Not Run in 5th District," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ The Town Talk, "Boyce businessman Grant announces run for Congress; Hazel won't run for seat," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 The News Star, "Hunter backs Mayo in 5th District race," accessed July 17, 2014
- ↑ The Ouachita Citizen, "VIDEO: Rep. Vance McAllister in extramarital embrace," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Yahoo News, "Congressman apologizes after compromising video posted," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ NOLA, "Vance McAllister on video showing kiss with staffer: 'I've fallen short and I'm asking for forgiveness'," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ The News Star, "McAllister to ask for FBI probe on leaked video," accessed April 9, 2014
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 Louisiana Radio Network, "McAllister leaning towards running for re-election," accessed June 16, 2014
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 The Hill, "Cantor withholds judgment on McAllister," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 The Advertiser, "McAllister rejects Cantor’s call to resign," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "Vance McAllister’s new problem: His own party," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ CNN, "McAllister urged to resign by top Republicans," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 Louisiana GOP, "Statement from Roger F. Villere, Jr. Chairman, Republican Party of Louisiana," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 Washington Post, "Jindal: McAllister an ‘embarrassment,’ should resign," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ NOLA.com, "Bobby Jindal calls on Vance McAllister to resign," accessed April 12, 2014
- ↑ 49.0 49.1 Politico, "Walden declines to say whether McAllister should resign," accessed April 14, 2014
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 Shreveport Times, "U.S. Rep. Vance McAllister: Congressional job 'sucks'," accessed January 24, 2013
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 The News Star, "McAllister: Campaign finance report coming," accessed October 24, 2013
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 52.3 52.4 The Town Talk, "5th District race: 3 candidates blast shutdown at UL-Monroe forum," accessed October 10, 2013
- ↑ U.S. House, "House Resolution 676," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Associated Press, "Suing Obama: GOP-led House gives the go-ahead," July 31, 2014
- ↑ Washington Post, "House clears way for lawsuit against Obama," accessed July 30, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Year End Report," accessed April 8, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly," accessed April 23, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "July Quarterly," accessed October 23, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "October Quarterly," accessed October 23, 2014
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Vance McAllister Refunds Campaign Contribution From Staffer He Was Caught Kissing," accessed July 17, 2014
- ↑ 61.0 61.1 NOLA.com, "Vance McAllister refunds campaign contributions from former staffer he was caught kissing in leaked video," accessed July 17, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
