Louisiana 5th District Race Shakes Up as McMakin Exits, Davis Switches to 6th

BATON ROUGE, La. (KPEL News) — While all eyes have been on the looming U.S. Senate race in Louisiana, some interesting moves are being made in the race for Julia Letlow's soon-to-be-vacated seat in the U.S. House.

State Rep. Dixon McMakin dropped out of Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District race Monday, less than two weeks after he got in. The Baton Rouge Republican said he’s staying put in the state Legislature.

On the same day, another Republican candidate, Larry Davis, switched races, moving from the 5th District to challenge Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields in Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District.

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What Baton Rouge Voters Need to Know

McMakin got out just as qualifying for Louisiana’s closed congressional party primaries starts Wednesday and runs through February 13. The district covers portions of East Baton Rouge Parish, extends northeast to Monroe, and includes several Florida parishes.

“This decision comes down to the following facts: the people of our district elected me to serve in the Louisiana House of Representatives, and I am fully committed to continuing that mission,” McMakin wrote in a press release. “There is still too much unfinished business at the state level and too many important victories still to be won for Baton Rouge and our Capital Region.”

The 39-year-old first-term representative said he’ll refocus his efforts locally to support infrastructure repairs, advance flood control projects along the Amite and Comite rivers, and implement tougher measures to combat crime.

Remaining 5th District Candidates

McMakin’s exit leaves a crowded Republican field. State Sen. Blake Miguez of Erath got President Trump’s endorsement last week. Trump called him a “MAGA Warrior” just one day after Miguez switched from the U.S. Senate race.

State Sen. Rick Edmonds of Baton Rouge and Misti Cordell, chair of the Louisiana Board of Regents from Monroe, are also running. Several other state lawmakers are weighing whether to jump in before qualifying ends Thursday.

Trump carried the 5th District with 67% of the vote in 2024. Under Louisiana’s closed party primary system, Republican and Democratic voters pick their nominees separately in the May 16 primary. Runoffs happen June 27 if needed.

Larry Davis Shifts to 6th District Challenge

Larry Davis, a member of the Livingston Parish Republican Executive Committee, posted on social media Monday that he switched districts for “unity” and to address what he called “failed leadership” in the 6th District.

“Louisiana’s 5th District has strong conservative voices, and we trust that a good candidate will emerge there,” Davis wrote. “Rather than divide ourselves in an internal contest, we’re choosing unity and wisdom.”

The 6th District looks different politically. Rep. Cleo Fields, a Democrat, won the newly configured district in 2024 with 50.8% of the vote. The district covers much of Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Shreveport. It was created after a legal fight over Louisiana’s congressional map that led to the drawing of a second majority-Black district.

Timeline for Louisiana Voters

Qualifying for congressional races starts Wednesday, February 11, and runs through February 13. The closed Republican and Democratic primaries happen May 16, with potential runoffs on June 27. The general election is November 3, with December 12 runoffs if no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote.

Louisiana’s new closed primary system is a big change from previous elections. Candidates now run in partisan primaries, with only nominees from each party advancing to the general election. That’s different from the state’s old majority-vote system, where all candidates competed in one primary regardless of party.

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