Louisiana's forty-second state house district is represented by Republican Representative John Stefanski.

Louisiana state representatives represent an average of 43,175 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 42,562 residents.

About the chamber

Members of the Louisiana House of Representatives serve four-year terms with term limits, limiting representatives to three terms (a total of 12 years). The Louisiana House of Representatives is one of the five state legislative lower houses whose members are elected to four-year terms, as opposed to the more common two-year term. Louisiana legislators assume office at noon on the second Monday in January after their election.

Qualifications

In order to run for office, the following qualifications are in place:

• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• Must be a resident of the district they seek to hold office to for a minimum of two years.
• Must not have served more than two and one half terms previously in office. This is for any candidate who has held office in the past after January 8, 1996.
• Have not been convicted of a felony offense.
• Have no outstanding fines with the Louisiana Ethics Administration Program.
• Pay a $225 filing fee with the Clerk of Court in the parish they reside in or collect 400 signatures.
• If running as a Republican or Democrat, pay an additional $112.50 filing fee with the state and/or parish executive committee of their party.

Salaries

Term limits

The Louisiana legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Of the 15 states, it is the only state where term limits were imposed by the state's legislators, rather than through the ballot initiative process. Under Louisiana's term limits, state representatives can serve no more than three four-year terms in the House.

The state's term limits law was enacted in 1995. The first year that the term limits enacted in 1995 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2007.

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the house, the vacant seat must be filled by a special election. An election is required if there is six months or more left in the unexpired term. The Speaker of the House must call for an election no later than 10 days after the vacancy occurred. The Speaker of the House must determine the dates for the election along with all filing deadlines. The person elected to the seat serves for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Elections

2019

Elections for the Louisiana House of Representatives took place in 2019. The primary was on October 12, 2019, and the general election was on November 16. The filing deadline for candidates was August 8, 2019.

The general election was canceled.

2017

A special election for the position of Louisiana House of Representatives District 42 was called for March 25, 2017. The state scheduled a general election to take place on April 29, 2017, if needed. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 27, 2017.

The seat became vacant following Jack Montoucet's (D) appointment as the new secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries by Gov. John Bel Edwards (D). Montoucet won reelection in 2011 with 63 percent of the vote. In 2015, he ran unopposed. District 24 is located in Acadia Parish. In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump won Acadia with 77 percent of the vote. Based on voter registration data as of March 1, 2017, Democrats outnumbered Republicans in District 42 12,013 to 6,562.

John Stefanski (R) defeated Jay Suire (R) in the special election. No Democrats filed for the seat. The District 42 seat was the first state legislative seat to switch parties as a result of a special election in 2017.

Louisiana House of Representatives, District 42, Special Election, 2017

2015

Elections for the Louisiana House of Representatives took place in 2015. A primary election was held on October 24, 2015, with a general election held in districts where necessary on November 21, 2015. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was September 10, 2015, at 4:30 p.m. CDT.

In Louisiana, all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, face off in the primary election. If a candidate receives at least 50 percent of the vote in the primary election, he or she wins outright. If no candidate reaches that threshold, a general election is held between the top two vote-getters. Incumbent Jack Montoucet (D) was unopposed in the October 24 blanket primary.

2011

Elections for the office of Louisiana House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on October 22, 2011, and a general election on November 19, 2011. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was September 8, 2011. Incumbent Jack Montoucet (D) defeated Anthony Emmons (R) in the October 22 primary.

Louisiana House of Representatives, District 42 Blanket Primary, 2011

Campaign contributions

From 2003 to 2011, candidates for Louisiana House of Representatives District 42 raised a total of $847,863. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $169,573 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Louisiana House of Representatives District 42