The 2021 Louisiana's 2nd congressional district special election was held on March 20, 2021, with a runoff being held on April 24, 2021.
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Louisiana's 2nd congressional district | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Turnout | 18.0% (first round)[1] 16.8% (second round)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Carter: 30–40% 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Peterson: 20–30% 50–60% 60–70% Chambers: 20–30% Bernard: 30–40% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On November 17, 2020, incumbent Democratic representative Cedric Richmond announced that he would resign from the United States House of Representatives to serve as the director of the Office of Public Liaison and as a Senior Advisor to Joe Biden. He did so on January 15, 2021, and took his new job when Biden assumed office on January 20, 2021.[2][3][4] When congressional seats in Louisiana become vacant, the governor has the ability to call a special election at any time. The special election to fill Louisiana's 2nd congressional district took place on March 20, and a runoff was held on April 24.[5][6][7][8] Troy Carter won the runoff election on April 24, 2021 against fellow Democrat Karen Peterson.[1]
Of the Democratic candidates, Troy Carter, a state senator, Karen Carter Peterson, a state senator and former chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party, and Gary Chambers, an activist, were considered the frontrunners.[9] Of these candidates, Carter was considered to be moderate, while Peterson and Chambers were considered to be progressives.[9] In the jungle primary, Carter and Peterson took first and second place with 36% and 23% of the vote, while Chambers took third place with 21%.[10] Chambers' result was considered an overperformance, as he significantly outdid his polling numbers.[10] On March 29, Chambers endorsed Peterson.[11]
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Troy Carter (D) |
Karen Carter Peterson (D) |
Gary Chambers Jr. (D) |
Desiree Ontiveros (D) |
Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Edgewater Research/My People Vote | March 2–7, 2021 | 651 (LV) | ± 3.8% | 35% | 24% | 11% | – | 16% | 15% |
LexthomResearch and Development, LLC | February 26 – March 3, 2021 | 1,067 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 23% | 17% | 13% | 4% | 3%[b] | 40% |
Trust the People PAC (D)[A] | February 21–22, 2021 | 620 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 24% | 23% | 6% | 2% | 16%[c] | 29% |
Silas Lee & Associates (D)[B] | February 12–14, 2021 | 450 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 28% | 19% | 6% | 2% | 8%[d] | 38% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Troy Carter (D) |
Cleo Fields (D) |
Mitch Landrieu (D) |
Helena Moreno (D) |
Karen Carter Peterson (D) |
Other | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ALG Research (D)[permanent dead link] | November 2–5, 2020 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 15% | 14% | 25% | 18% | 4% | 3% | 22% |
22% | 17% | – | 24% | 7% | 4% | 22% |
Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report[55] | Solid D | March 19, 2021 |
Inside Elections[56] | Solid D | March 19, 2021 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball[57] | Safe D | March 18, 2021 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Troy Carter | 34,402 | 36.38 | |
Democratic | Karen Carter Peterson | 21,673 | 22.92 | |
Democratic | Gary Chambers Jr. | 20,163 | 21.31 | |
Republican | Claston Bernard | 9,237 | 9.77 | |
Republican | Chelsea Ardoin | 3,218 | 3.40 | |
Republican | Greg Lirette | 2,349 | 2.48 | |
Republican | Sheldon C. Vincent Sr. | 754 | 0.80 | |
Democratic | Desiree Ontiveros | 699 | 0.74 | |
Independent | Belden Batiste | 598 | 0.63 | |
Democratic | Harold John | 403 | 0.43 | |
Libertarian | Mindy McConnell | 323 | 0.34 | |
Democratic | J. Christopher Johnson | 288 | 0.30 | |
Democratic | Jenette M. Porter | 244 | 0.26 | |
Democratic | Lloyd M. Kelly | 122 | 0.13 | |
Independent | Brandon Jolicoeur | 94 | 0.10 | |
Total votes | 94,567 | 100.00 |
Parish | Troy Carter Democratic |
Karen Carter Peterson Democratic |
Gary Chambers Jr. Democratic |
Claston Bernard Republican |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Ascension | 776 | 33.9 | 653 | 28.5 | 307 | 13.4 | 392 | 17.1 | 162 | 7.1 | 123 | 5.4% | 2,290 |
Assumption | 373 | 44.9 | 152 | 18.3 | 59 | 7.1 | 149 | 17.9 | 98 | 11.8 | 221 | 26.6% | 831 |
East Baton Rouge | 2,273 | 26.2 | 3,045 | 35.1 | 2,832 | 32.6 | 164 | 1.9 | 365 | 4.2 | 213 | 2.5% | 8,679 |
West Baton Rouge | 289 | 20.4 | 334 | 23.6 | 296 | 20.9 | 318 | 22.5 | 177 | 12.5 | 16 | 1.1% | 1,414 |
Iberville | 622 | 23.9 | 504 | 19.3 | 640 | 24.6 | 583 | 22.4 | 258 | 9.9 | 18 | 0.7% | 2,607 |
Jefferson | 7,702 | 39.5 | 3,283 | 16.8 | 1,989 | 10.2 | 2,902 | 14.9 | 3,647 | 18.7 | 4,419 | 22.6% | 19,523 |
Orleans | 18,366 | 38.6 | 12,055 | 25.3 | 12,897 | 27.1 | 1,798 | 3.8 | 2,514 | 5.3 | 5,469 | 11.5% | 47,630 |
St. Charles | 1,037 | 23.2 | 476 | 10.6 | 334 | 7.5 | 1,495 | 33.4 | 1,133 | 25.3 | 458 | 10.2% | 4,475 |
St. James | 1,238 | 35.0 | 553 | 15.6 | 317 | 9.0 | 990 | 28.0 | 437 | 12.4 | 248 | 7.0% | 3,535 |
St. John the Baptist | 1,726 | 48.2 | 618 | 17.3 | 492 | 13.7 | 446 | 12.5 | 301 | 8.4 | 1,108 | 30.9% | 3,583 |
Total | 34,402 | 36.38 | 21,673 | 22.92 | 20,163 | 21.32 | 9,237 | 9.77 | 9,092 | 9.61 | 12,729 | 13.46% | 94,567 |
A runoff was held on April 24 between Troy Carter and Karen Carter Peterson. In the April 24th runoff, Carter beat Peterson 48,513, 55.2%, to 39,297, 44.8%, with 87,810 votes reported from 100% of precincts.[58]
Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report[55] | Solid D | March 19, 2021 |
Inside Elections[59] | Solid D | April 23, 2021 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball[60] | Safe D | April 15, 2021 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Troy Carter | 48,513 | 55.25% | |
Democratic | Karen Carter Peterson | 39,297 | 44.75% | |
Total votes | 87,810 | 100.00 | ||
Democratic hold |
Parish | Troy Carter Democratic |
Karen Carter Peterson Democratic |
Margin | Total votes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Ascension | 1,113 | 47.5 | 1,228 | 52.5 | 115 | 5.0% | 2,341 |
Assumption | 441 | 62.6 | 263 | 37.4 | 178 | 25.2% | 704 |
East Baton Rouge | 3,032 | 35.4 | 5,542 | 64.6 | 2,510 | 29.2% | 8,574 |
West Baton Rouge | 617 | 48.6 | 652 | 51.4 | 35 | 2.8% | 1,269 |
Iberville | 1,173 | 48.0 | 1,272 | 52.0 | 99 | 4.0% | 2,445 |
Jefferson | 11,195 | 67.0 | 5,524 | 33.0 | 5,671 | 34.0% | 16,719 |
Orleans | 24,160 | 53.0 | 21,467 | 47.0 | 2,693 | 6.0% | 45,627 |
St. Charles | 2,346 | 70.3 | 989 | 29.7 | 1,357 | 40.6% | 3,335 |
St. James | 2,356 | 66.2 | 1,202 | 33.8 | 1,357 | 32.4% | 3,558 |
St. John the Baptist | 2,078 | 64.3 | 1,156 | 35.7 | 922 | 28.6% | 3,234 |
Totals | 48,513 | 55.25 | 39,297 | 44.75 | 9,216 | 10.50% | 87,810 |