Louisiana's eighty-first state house district is represented by Republican Representative Clay Schexnayder.

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.

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 Clay Schexnayder (R) defeated Lester McLin (R) in the October 24 blanket primary.

Louisiana House of Representatives, District 81 Primary Election, 2015

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. Clay Schexnayder (R) faced Kevin Hull (D), Laura O'Halloran (R), Gills Windham (R) and Don Wheat (R) in the primary election on October 22 and defeated Hull in the general election, which took place on November 19.

Louisiana House of Representatives District 81 General Election, 2011

Louisiana House of Representatives, District 81 Blanket Primary, 2011

Campaign contributions

From 2003 to 2011, candidates for Louisiana House of Representatives District 81 raised a total of $1,349,342. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $112,445 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Louisiana House of Representatives District 81