Louisiana holds its state-level elections in the off-year — in fact, they will do so this November — but the state’s House and Senate have already both flipped to the Republican Party. The GOP took over the state House thanks to a party-switch. The party took over the state Senate this weekend in a special election.
This victory will not do much to help the GOP with congressional redistricting. The state has to lose a seat, and it will almost certainly have to be a Republican one. But at the state level, redistricting will provide an opportunity to solidify a Republican majority in both chambers. Assuming he gets re-elected, Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal could have a much freer hand in his second term, which — an opportunity few governors receive.
With the takeover in Louisiana, Democrats have only two bastions remaining in the South — Arkansas and Mississippi. The latter holds its state-level elections later this year.
