Louisiana's twenty-sixth state senate district is represented by Republican Senator Bob Hensgens.

Louisiana state senators represent an average of 116,240 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 114,589 residents.

About the chamber

Members of the Louisiana State Senate serve four-year terms with term limits. 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 senators can serve no more than three four-year terms in the Senate.

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 senate, 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 Senate President must call for an election no later than 10 days after the vacancy happened. The Senate President 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 State Senate 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.

2018

A special election for the position of Louisiana State Senate District 26 was called for November 6, 2018. The filing deadline for this race was August 10, 2018. Jean Menard (D), Jerry Gaspard (R), and Bob Hensgens (R) faced off in the special election.

The seat became vacant on December 9, 2018, when Jonathan Perry (R) resigned his seat to become a court of appeals judge.

The general election was canceled.

2015

Elections for the Louisiana State Senate 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 Jonathan Perry (R) was unopposed in the October 24 blanket primary.

2011

Elections for the office of Louisiana State Senate 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 Jonathan Perry (R) was unopposed in the October 22 blanket primary.

Campaign contributions

From 2003 to 2011, candidates for Louisiana State Senate District 26 raised a total of $1,239,544. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $247,909 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Louisiana State Senate District 26