Patrick Williams (D)
Term limited in 2019
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 8,467 (75%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 2,808 (25%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 7,203 (70%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 3,076 (30%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 4,682 (29%)
John Kerry (D) 11,468 (71%)
Others 68 (0%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 4,205 (28%)
Chris John (D) 5,949 (39%)
Others 5,121 (33%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 700 (8%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 5,402 (60%)
Mike Francis (R) 1,505 (17%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 428 (5%)
Others 845 (10%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 2,466 (25%)
Walter Boasso (D) 3,184 (32%)
John Georges (I) 1,060 (11%)
Foster Campbell (D) 3,094 (31%)
Others 121 (1%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 6,011 (66%)
Mike Strain (R) 1,745 (19%)
Wayne Carter (R) 1,009 (11%)
Don Johnson (R) 293 (3%)

One of the newly created African-American House districts after the 1991 reapportionment was House District 4. The district itself is elongated and is located in the northwest fringes of Shreveport and adjacent rural areas in northern Caddo Parish. To best describe the district, you would start at its northernmost end in the town of Gilliam in rural northern Caddo Parish. From there, it goes south along the Red River until it reaches I-220. It then follows I-220 down to I-20, taking in African-American neighborhoods on either side of the interstate near the airport.

The district itself has a 67% African-American voting majority, which is up from a 63% majority in 2003. Overall, its 3% increase in voters since 2003 is slightly more than the statewide average.

The political preferences of this district are solidly Democratic, although there seems to be a consistent 25-30% base of support for Republicans in recent statewide races due to white neighborhoods in the district, like the affluent neighborhoods near Cross Lake, white neighborhoods in Blanchard, and some rural precincts.

For a North Louisiana district, there have been some surprisingly competitive races here. When the district was created in 1991, civil rights activist C.O. Simpkins was elected in the runoff with 57% of the vote. He left in 1995 to make an unsuccessful state Senate run, and was replaced by Cedric Glover. Glover was elected in the primary with 51%, was unopposed in 1999, and received 62% of the vote against a lone Democratic opponent in 2003. He was elected mayor of Shreveport in 2006 with 54% of the vote against Republican Jerry Jones.

A special election was held in 2007 to replace Rep. Glover. African-American Democrat Patrick Williams (who received 38% of the vote against Glover in 2003) was elected in the runoff with 66% of the vote and was elected to a full term with 75% of the vote. He is allowed to serve three more terms.