Joe Salter (D)
Term limited in 2007
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 5,240 (47%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 5,932 (53%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 6,877 (54%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 5,871 (46%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 12,659 (67%)
John Kerry (D) 5,897 (32%)
Others 239 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 9,955 (58%)
Chris John (D) 4,334 (25%)
Others 2,843 (17%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 1,225 (17%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 1,850 (25%)
Mike Francis (R) 2,619 (35%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 728 (10%)
Others 931 (13%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 6,879 (47%)
Walter Boasso (D) 2,494 (17%)
John Georges (I) 1,429 (10%)
Foster Campbell (D) 3,440 (24%)
Others 357 (2%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 6,453 (47%)
Mike Strain (R) 3,812 (28%)
Wayne Carter (R) 2,248 (17%)
Don Johnson (R) 1,081 (8%)

District 24 is located in northwest Louisiana and contains all of Sabine and Red River Parishes, plus 3 precincts in DeSoto Parish and a portion of Vernon Parish along the Sabine River. It has a relatively low (18%) African-American population, which has remained steady throughout the decade. Population-wise, the district registered a slight 1% loss in its voting population from 2003 to 2007, with all but Vernon Parish losing voters. Politically, it is a swing district in contested statewide races, giving 53% of the vote to Suzy Terrell and 54% to Kathleen Blanco. Like other North Louisiana districts, it shifted to the right last year, giving Bush a solid 67% of the vote and a 58-25% victory to David Vitter.

This district is another of several districts in North Louisiana that have repeatedly re-elected its representative without much incident. Joe Salter was first elected in 1986 and has only faced one seriously contested race (in 1991, when he was pushed into a runoff). Otherwise, he has been re-elected with substantial margins and was twice unopposed, including his 2003 race. Currently, he is serving his last term in the House as its speaker.

We rate this open seat race as a tossup in 2007. On one hand, Republicans represent the district in Congress and the state Senate (its Senator, James David Cain, switched parties and was re-elected handily in 2003), and its low African-American voter population provides a base for a conservative candidate. However, Republicans have not made an effort to win this seat in the past. This year, however, they recognize this is the type of district they need to win if they wish to control the state House and have a candidate: Frankie Howard. He faces three Democrats (Dean Crittenden, Randy Sandel, and Mary Ann Wiggins) in the October primary.