Cleo Fields (D)
Term limited in 2007
District Map

2002 Senate Race (Runoff)
Mary Landrieu (D) 19,254 (78%)
Suzy Terrell (R) 5,554 (22%)

2003 Governors Race (Runoff)
Kathleen Blanco (D) 17,889 (70%)
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 7,564 (30%)

2004 Presidential Race
George W. Bush (R) 10,871 (29%)
John Kerry (D) 26,849 (70%)
Others 364 (1%)

2004 Senate Race
David Vitter (R) 9,503 (26%)
Chris John (D) 15,156 (41%)
Others 11,955 (33%)

2006 Secretary of State Race
Jay Dardenne (R) 4,395 (47%)
Francis Heitmeier (D) 3,716 (39%)
Mike Francis (R) 660 (7%)
Mary Chehardy (R) 244 (3%)
Others 387 (4%)

2007 Governors Race
“Bobby” Jindal (R) 6,724 (30%)
Walter Boasso (D) 6,005 (26%)
John Georges (I) 3,833 (17%)
Foster Campbell (D) 5,749 (25%)
Others 460 (2%)

2007 Agriculture Commissioner Race
“Bob” Odom (D) 12,576 (58%)
Mike Strain (R) 5,429 (25%)
Wayne Carter (R) 2,344 (11%)
Don Johnson (R) 1,220 (6%)

When writing about Senate District 14, there are really two stories to tell: the history of this Senate district, and the ups and downs of Senator Cleo Fields’ polticial career.

Senate District 14 was originally created in the 1981 reapportionment as an inner-city district with the intent of being one of the first districts outside Orleans Parish to elect an African-American state senator, which it did in 1983. It was then significantly modified after the 1991 reapportionment. Then Senate President Sammy Nunez (an ally of former Governor Edwards), in the words of John Maginnis, “plotted all summer to twist the GOP grand strategy in order to create more African-American seats but also to protect its own populist majority (that is, the guys who voted to throw out Roemer’s president and to reinstate Sammy Nunez).” Part of this protection also meant that “opposition” senators would receive unfavorable districts wherever possible. One of those opposition senators was Larry Bankston, whose South Baton Rouge district was split into several pieces. The Garden District, the area immediately surrounding LSU, and African-American neighborhoods in South Baton Rouge were then added to District 14. After the 2001 reapportionment, the Burbank/Gardere area was added. This has resulted in a district that contains the major Baton Rouge landmarks (Southern, ExxonMobil, Downtown, and LSU) that is majority (62%) but not overwhelmingly African-American. Because the white neighborhoods in the district tend to be more moderate politically, the district votes heavily Democratic in contested races, giving Mary Landrieu 78% of the vote, and supporting Kathleen Blanco and John Kerry with 70%. Even with split Democratic opposition, David Vitter ran third here with 26%, with Chris John getting 41% and John Kennedy 26%.

The other “story” to tell is the story of Cleo Fields. As a 24 year old Southern law graduate and SGA President, he was first elected in 1987 in an upset, defeating Dick Turnley, who was part of the “first wave” of African-American politicians in Baton Rouge. Senator Fields quickly gained prominence in the Senate as an opponent of Buddy Roemer and was an important part of the populist power bloc which had overturned Buddy Roemer’s Senate President in a 1990 coup. Though reapportionment changed the district, he was unopposed in 1991. After his re-election, he then ran for (and was elected to) Congress in a newly created congressional district (derisively referred to as the “tomato rot” district for its bizarre shape). Though he served in Congress from 1993 to 1997, he ran for governor in 1995 and made the runoff, only to lose to Mike Foster 63-37%. Ironically, just as redistricting paved the way for Cleo to get elected to Congress, redistricting also ended his congressional career in 1996 by eliminating the district to create a second north Louisiana district.

Succeeding Cleo Fields in 1993 was state representative John Guidry. Senator Guidry was elected with 65% of the vote, was unopposed in 1995, and served until he was elected to an appeals court judgeship in 1997. Since Cleo Fields was politically unemployed at that time, he ran for his old seat and was “re-elected” in a 74% landslide, defeating several local African-American politicians in the process.

Though he was unopposed in 1999, his political star power peaked shortly thereafter, as it was revealed during an investigation into Edwin Edwards that Cleo Fields was videotaped accepting $20,000 in cash from the former governor, an action that he has steadfastly refused to explain. In the subsequent 2003 election, he attracted opposition and was held to 53% of the vote against School Board member Pat Smith and Metrocouncilman Byron Sharper – his lowest percentage since he was first elected in 1987. The lingering effects from the $20,000 “contribution” also contributed to his failure to get elected to the Public Service Commission in 2004.

Originally, Senator Fields was term-limited in 2007. Legislation that was passed in 2006 allowed Senator Fields and Representative Wayne Waddell to serve another term, due to the timing of their elections and subsequent swearing in. Sen. Fields’ candidacy, however, was challenged after he qualified to run for re-election. Though a district judge ruled in favor of Sen. Fields, the appeals court reversed the district court, and the reversal was upheld by the Louisiana Supreme Court. Therefore, Cleo Fields was removed from the ballot. Four candidates are still in the race: young attorney Jason DeCuir, term-limited state representative Yvonne Dorsey (who has Sen. Fields’ wholehearted endorsement), frequent candidate Willis Reed, and attorney Steven Schilling. All but Willis Reed are Democrats, and all candidates except Steven Schilling are African-Americans. This race actually will be worth watching, because the 62% African-American majority suggests that there is a base for a more moderate African-American like Jason Decuir, provided that he can compete with Schilling for the white vote.

What awaits Cleo Fields’ future? Senator Fields has been an important figure in Louisiana Democratic politics for nearly 20 years now, providing sometimes crucial organizational muscle to Mary Landrieu, John Kennedy, “Buddy” Leach, and Marjorie McKeithen. In fact, it was noted “more white Democrats owe their offices to Fields than any other elected official of either party (or race) currently alive.” However, it’s questionable as to whether he can be elected to a higher office at this point. In the short-term, look for him to throw his organizational muscle behind getting Yvonne Dorsey elected.