Fifth District Race Redrawn | Baton Rouge News

Louisiana’s Fifth Congressional District is heating up with five new candidates vying for the seat after a Supreme Court ruling scrapped the old map—calling it a racial gerrymander—and forced a redraw. State Sen. Stewart Cathey, Reps. Michael Echols and Gabe Firment, plus Austin Magee and Dan McKay (the only Democrat) are now in the race. The new boundaries, signed by the governor, have reshaped the playing field—especially for Firment, who’s jumping in because the new lines favor central Louisiana. Cathey, previously outside the district, sees this as his chance to run. Echols, already qualified for the canceled election, is adapting to an open primary system that means he’ll need to appeal to voters beyond his party. The redraw also sent state Sen. Rick Edmonds packing from the Fifth to target the Sixth District. The new Fifth District spans 24 parishes across northeast, central, and the Florida Parishes—with runoff elections set for December 12 if no one wins outright on November 3. Candidates must qualify by Friday afternoon, so the race could still shift. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/5acf82189f6e93d6