Assumption voters go for winner in 2nd District race

Assumption Parish voters joined people across the 2nd Congressional District on Saturday in electing state Sen. Troy Carter to be their next congressman.
Carter beat fellow New Orleans Democrat Karen Carter Peterson with 48,511 votes, or 55%, to 39,295, or 45%, according to complete but unofficial returns from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.
In Assumption, in the far southwest corner of the district, 441 people, or 63%, voted for Carter, and 263, or 37%, voted for Peterson.
Turnout was low in Saturday’s runoff to replace incumbent Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, who has accepted an adviser post in the Biden administration.
Districtwide, 16.6% of registered voters turned out. In Assumption, turnout was 14% per-cent.
The only other issue on the Assumption ballot Saturday was a 6-mill property tax renewal for Recreation District 2, which passed with 89% support.
The 2nd District will continue to be represented by the lone Democratic House member from Louisiana. The 2nd District is also the only district in which a majority of voters are black.
Louisiana will have two new U.S. representatives during the current Congress. Republican Julia Letlow won an outright victory in the March 20 primary in northeast Louisiana’s 5th District.
Her husband, Luke Letlow, was elected to that post in December, but he died from COVID-19 complications before he could take office.
Barring another special election, Saturday’s balloting was the last before the 2020 Census results are used to redraw political districts.
Despite the fact that Republicans hold five of Louisiana’s six congres-sional seats, the 2021 redistricting could be even more contentious than usual.
It will be the first re-apportionment since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which required U.S. Justice Department approval of district changes that could affect minority voting strength in areas with a history of voter suppression.
The nation will be heading into 2022 mid-term elections, which traditionally favor the party that does not hold the White House. The Democrats hold a slim 218-212 majority in the House, where there were five vacancies before
Carter was elected Saturday.