Cleo Fields wins Louisiana's 6th Congressional District
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Cleo Fields was elected to represent Louisiana's 6th Congressional District after facing unexpected heat at the polls from Republican challenger Elbert Guillory.
Why it matters: In combination with Rep. Troy Carter's reelection, it means Louisiana will send a second Democrat to Washington, D.C, as control of the U.S. House of Representatives still remains up in the air.
State of play: Though Fields declared victory after last week's election and the Louisiana Secretary of State had submitted complete but unofficial results, the Associated Press didn't call the election until Monday.
- The race was unexpectedly tight, with Fields earning just more than 50% of the vote.
- Because Louisiana has an open primary, he needed to secure 50% plus one vote to win outright. If he hadn't, Fields and Guillory would have gone to a runoff next month.
The intrigue: Getting here wasn't easy for the 6th District.
- Its map is newly redrawn after a federal judge ruled that the state needed to have a second majority-Black district.
- To get there, state lawmakers opted to protect districts held by Gov. Jeff Landry's political allies, like House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Instead, they carved up the one currently held by Rep. Garret Graves.
State of play: The map in use for this election was rejected by a panel of three federal judges earlier this year, but the court ruled it could be used temporarily.
- The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it would take arguments in the redistricting case next year, the AP reports. The court will decide of race was considered too heavily in drawing the map.
Zoom in: Fields entered the race heavily favored to win after serving in various public offices off and on for decades, including a previous election to the U.S. House in 1992.
- He's currently serving as a state senator known for his willingness to compromise across party lines. Fields even previously endorsed now-Gov. Jeff Landry and remains tight with him.
He's also faced tough questions in his time in office.
- As the Times-Picayune notes, Fields received a $20,000 payment from since-convicted former Gov. Edwin Edwards. The incident was captured on FBI footage, but he's never been accused of a crime.
- A former political rival also accused Fields of living in a wealthy community on the opposite side of Baton Rouge from his official residence, the Advocate reported in 2019.
What's next: Fields will be sworn in Jan. 3, 2025, when the 119th Congress begins.