Michael Jackson (D)
Term limited in 2011
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 8,524 (82%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 1,825 (18%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 8,061 (76%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 2,533 (24%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 3,329 (22%)
John Kerry (D) 11,519 (77%)
Others 147 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 2,761 (19%)
Chris John (D) 6,724 (47%)
Others 4,937 (34%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 1,478 (43%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 1,538 (44%)
Mike Francis (R) 192 (6%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 91 (3%)
Others 150 (4%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 1,957 (21%)
Walter Boasso (D) 2,652 (29%)
John Georges (I) 1,567 (17%)
Foster Campbell (D) 2,735 (30%)
Others 199 (3%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 5,647 (65%)
Mike Strain (R) 1,584 (18%)
Wayne Carter (R) 816 (9%)
Don Johnson (R) 588 (7%)

House District 61 is located in inner-city Baton Rouge and was designed to be an African-American majority district when it was created in 1983. It includes most of the old blue collar neighborhoods north of Choctaw between Airline and Plank. From there, it stretches south to include the Eden Park area and apartment complexes around the former Bon Marche Mall. It also includes at its southern boundaries some garden district-ish white neighborhoods along Goodwood and Claycut.

The district has a solid 72% African-American majority, up from 69% when the district lines were drawn. Most of that change is attributable to demographic changes in the old working class white neighborhoods north of Choctaw that still constitute 40% of the vote. Most of the remaining white voters still live in the “garden district” neighborhoods that cast about a quarter of the district’s vote. The district overall has had a slight decrease (2%) in the number of its voters.

Politically, the district is solidly Democratic. Its African-American majority is a large part of the Democratic voter base here, but that base has recently been augmented by the liberal tendencies of the “garden district” neighborhoods south of Florida Boulevard – George Bush carried these nearly all white precincts with a only a 51-48% margin. Overall, Democrats can count on better than 3 to 1 support district-wide in contested elections.

The district has had steady representation since its creation in 1983. African-American Democrat Louis Jetson was first elected to the seat that year, but died during the 1984 session. His brother Raymond Jetson was elected in 1984, and served with little opposition until 1999, when he resigned to take a job with DHH (he was recently named Deputy Secretary by Governor Blanco). Attorney Michael Jackson was then elected with 56% in the 1999 primary, and was unopposed in 2003, and then defeated Metrocouncilman Byron Sharper with 67% of the vote in the 2007 primary.

We rate this seat as a “Democratic hold”, even when Representative Jackson is term-limited in 2011. An African-American is certain to hold the seat, since its population has been steadily increasing, thanks to continued white out migration from North Baton Rouge.