An independent guide to Louisiana local government. This is not an official government website.

Louisiana Data & Defense FoundationLouisiana parish and local government directory

Election day is Tuesday, November 3

What's on the ballot and key dates

On the ballot: U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and proposed constitutional amendments, plus local races in some areas.

  • Early voting and absentee ballot requests are now closed.
  • Mailed absentee ballots must reach your parish registrar of voters by Monday, November 2 at 4:30 p.m. A postmark does not count, so mail it early.
  • On election day, polls are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are in line when polls close, you can still vote.

Every race on the ballotSee your sample ballot and polling placeAll election dates and deadlinesSecretary of State election hotline: 1-800-883-2805

Louisiana government overview

Who does what in Louisiana government, explained in plain language: from your U.S. senators in Washington, to the Governor in Baton Rouge, to your parish and town.

The three levels of government

Every Louisiana resident is served by three levels of government at the same time. Each has its own elected leaders and its own jobs, and you vote for people at every level.

  1. Federal government

    Works in Washington, D.C., for the whole country

    Handles: national laws, the military, Social Security, Medicare, the Postal Service, immigration, and federal taxes.

    Louisiana elects:

  2. State government

    Works in Baton Rouge, for all of Louisiana

    Handles: state laws and the state budget, state highways, driver's licenses, State Police, colleges, and Medicaid.

    Louisiana elects:

  3. Local government

    Works in your parish and your city, town, or village

    Handles: local roads and drainage, water and trash, local police and jails, public schools, and property records.

    You elect:

Louisiana has two kinds of senators

U.S. Senators (there are 2) work in Washington and vote on national laws for the whole state. State senators (there are 39) work in Baton Rouge, vote on Louisiana's laws, and each represent one part of the state. Representatives work the same way: Louisiana has 6 in the U.S. House and 105 in the Louisiana House.

Who to contact about common problems

If you need help withContactLevel
A pothole, streetlight, or drainage on a city streetYour city, town, or village (public works)Local
A road or drainage outside city limitsYour parish governmentLocal
A state highway or interstateLouisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD)State
Water, sewer, or trash pickupYour city or parish. Find who to call where you liveLocal
A driver's license or license plateOffice of Motor Vehicles (OMV)State
Your property value or property taxParish assessor (value) and sheriff (tax bill)Local
A marriage license, deed, or court recordParish clerk of courtLocal
Registering to vote or finding your polling placeParish registrar of voters, or the Secretary of State's voter portalLocal and state
A public schoolYour parish school boardLocal
An electric, gas, or water company's rates or serviceLouisiana Public Service CommissionState
A scam or unfair businessAttorney General's office (consumer protection)State
A Louisiana law you want changedYour state senator and state representativeState
Social Security, Medicare, veterans' benefits, the IRS, or a passportThe federal agency, or your U.S. senators' or representative's office if you are stuckFederal
A national law you want changedYour U.S. senators and U.S. representativeFederal
An emergencyCall 911Local

Find the people who represent your address

Louisiana in the U.S. Congress

Congress writes the nation's laws and decides how federal money is spent. It has two parts: the Senate, where every state has 2 senators, and the House of Representatives, where states with more people get more seats. Louisiana has 6.

Members of Congress do not run Louisiana's state government; that is the Governor's job. But their offices in Louisiana can help you with a federal agency, such as Social Security, Medicare, Veterans Affairs, the IRS, or passports, when you cannot get an answer yourself.

U.S. Senators

Both are elected by voters across the whole state, for six-year terms.

Portrait of Bill Cassidy

U.S. Senator

Bill Cassidy

Republican

U.S. Senator since 2015. A physician who spent years treating patients in Louisiana's public hospitals, he served in the Louisiana Senate and the U.S. House before joining the Senate.

Official website

Portrait of John Kennedy

U.S. Senator

John Kennedy

Republican

U.S. Senator since 2017. Before that he was Louisiana's State Treasurer for 16 years (2000–2017).

Official website

U.S. Representatives

Each is elected by the voters of one district, for two-year terms.

Portrait of Steve Scalise

U.S. Representative, District 1

Steve Scalise

Republican

Represents District 1 since 2008. He is the House Majority Leader, the second-highest leader in the U.S. House.

Official website

Portrait of Troy Carter

U.S. Representative, District 2

Troy Carter

Democrat

Represents District 2 since 2021. He previously served in the Louisiana Senate and on the New Orleans City Council.

Official website

Portrait of Clay Higgins

U.S. Representative, District 3

Clay Higgins

Republican

Represents District 3 since 2017. He is an Army veteran and a former police officer.

Official website

Portrait of Mike Johnson

U.S. Representative, District 4

Mike Johnson

Republican

Represents District 4 since 2017. Since October 2023 he has been Speaker of the U.S. House, its top leader and second in line to the presidency after the Vice President.

Official website

Portrait of Julia Letlow

U.S. Representative, District 5

Julia Letlow

Republican

Represents District 5 since 2021. She serves on the House Appropriations Committee, which writes federal spending bills.

Official website

Portrait of Cleo Fields

U.S. Representative, District 6

Cleo Fields

Democrat

Represents District 6 since January 2025. He also served in Congress from 1993 to 1997 and spent many years in the Louisiana Senate.

Official website

See the U.S. House districts on the map

The Governor and statewide officials

The Governor is the head of Louisiana's state government. Six other officials are also elected by voters across the whole state. Each runs their own part of state government and does not report to the Governor.

Portrait of Jeff Landry

Governor

Jeff Landry

Republican

Governor since January 2024. Before that he was Louisiana's Attorney General (2016–2024) and represented south Louisiana in the U.S. House (2011–2013). He is an Army National Guard veteran and a former police officer.

What the Governor does:

  • Signs or vetoes the bills the Legislature passes
  • Proposes the state budget each year
  • Appoints the heads of most state departments, such as Health, Transportation, and State Police
  • Declares emergencies, such as before a hurricane, and commands the Louisiana National Guard

Elected for four years, and can serve at most two terms in a row.

Official website

How is the Governor different from a U.S. Senator?

Both are elected by the whole state, but they have different jobs. The Governor runs Louisiana's own government in Baton Rouge: state agencies, state highways, and the state budget. A U.S. Senator works in Washington, voting on national laws and federal spending, and has no say over how Louisiana's state government is run.

Other statewide elected officials

Portrait of Billy Nungesser

Lieutenant Governor

Billy Nungesser

Republican

Lieutenant Governor since 2016. Before that he was Plaquemines Parish President (2007–2016).

What this office does: Becomes governor if the Governor leaves office. Runs the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, including state parks and museums.

Official website

Portrait of Nancy Landry

Secretary of State

Nancy Landry

Republican

Secretary of State since January 2024. She represented Lafayette in the Louisiana House from 2008 to 2020, then served as first assistant secretary of state.

What this office does: Runs elections and voter registration, registers businesses, and keeps the state archives.

Official website

Portrait of Liz Murrill

Attorney General

Liz Murrill

Republican

Attorney General since January 2024. Before that she was Louisiana's Solicitor General, the lawyer who argues the state's cases in appeals courts.

What this office does: The state's lawyer. Represents Louisiana in court, protects consumers from scams, and fights fraud.

Official website

Portrait of John Fleming

Treasurer

John Fleming

Republican

State Treasurer since January 2024. A physician and Navy veteran, he represented northwest Louisiana in the U.S. House from 2009 to 2017.

What this office does: Manages the state's money and returns unclaimed property, such as forgotten bank accounts, to its owners.

Official website

Portrait of Tim Temple

Commissioner of Insurance

Tim Temple

Republican

Commissioner of Insurance since January 2024. He worked in the insurance industry before taking office.

What this office does: Regulates insurance companies and handles complaints about home, car, and health insurance.

Official website

Portrait of Mike Strain

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry

Mike Strain

Republican

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry since 2008. A veterinarian, he served in the Louisiana House before that.

What this office does: Oversees farming and forests, food safety, and checks that gas pumps and store scales are accurate.

Official website

Elected state boards

All state departments and agencies

The Louisiana Legislature

The Legislature writes Louisiana's laws and passes the state budget. It meets at the State Capitol in Baton Rouge for a few months each spring, and sometimes in special sessions.

Each legislator is elected by one district for a four-year term and can serve up to three terms in a row in the same chamber. You have one state senator and one state representative.

How a bill becomes a Louisiana law

  1. A legislator files a bill, often an idea brought to them by people in their district.
  2. A committee holds a hearing, where anyone can speak for or against it, then votes.
  3. The full House or Senate debates and votes on it.
  4. The other chamber does the same. Both must pass the same version.
  5. The Governor signs it into law or vetoes it. The Legislature can override a veto with a two-thirds vote.

Changes to the Louisiana Constitution also need voters' approval, which is why proposed amendments appear on your ballot.

Find your state legislators

Which party has the majority

In a legislature or in Congress, the party that holds more than half the seats has the majority. The majority picks the leaders, such as the Speaker of the House, runs the committees, and decides which bills come up for a vote. A bill still needs enough votes to pass, so the minority party's votes can matter on close questions.

In Baton Rouge: the Louisiana Legislature

Louisiana Senate

Republicans have the majority, with 28 of 39 seats.

  • Republican: 28
  • Vacant: 1
  • Democrat: 10
  • Majority: 20 seats.
  • Two-thirds: 26 seats, needed to override the Governor's veto. Republicans have that many on their own.

Louisiana House of Representatives

Republicans have the majority, with 71 of 105 seats.

  • Republican: 71
  • Vacant: 2
  • Democrat: 32
  • Majority: 53 seats.
  • Two-thirds: 70 seats, needed to override the Governor's veto. Republicans have that many on their own.

In Washington: the U.S. Congress

U.S. Senate (all 50 states)

Republicans have the majority, with 53 of 100 seats. The 2 independents vote with Democrats.

  • Republican: 53
  • Independent: 2
  • Democrat: 45
  • Majority: 51 seats.
  • 60 votes: needed to end debate on most bills (the filibuster). Republicans would need votes from the other side.

U.S. House of Representatives (all 50 states)

Republicans have the majority, with 218 of 435 seats. The independent votes with Republicans.

  • Republican: 218
  • Independent: 1
  • Vacant: 2
  • Democrat: 214
  • Majority: 218 seats.

Louisiana's own members of Congress are 6 Republicans and 2 Democrats, counting both senators and all 6 representatives.

Counts are of seats filled today and change with special elections. Party control of Congress is decided again in the November 3, 2026 election.

The courts

Courts decide cases and interpret the law. In Louisiana, judges are elected.

Parishes, cities, towns, and villages

Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes, which are like counties in other states. Within them are 304 cities, towns, and villages. If you live inside one, both your town and your parish serve you. If you live outside town limits, your parish handles most local services.

Parish government

Each parish is run either by a police jury (an elected board; despite the name, it does not run the police) or by a parish council and parish president. A few, including East Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Terrebonne, and Orleans, combine their city and parish governments into one.

Offices elected in every parish

OfficeWhat they do
SheriffLaw enforcement outside city limits, the parish jail, and collecting property taxes
AssessorSets the value of property for taxes. Contact them if you think your value is wrong or to claim a homestead exemption.
Clerk of courtKeeps court records and land records such as deeds, and issues marriage licenses
CoronerInvestigates deaths, and can order emergency mental health evaluations
School boardRuns the parish's public schools and hires the superintendent
District attorneyProsecutes crimes. Each judicial district, covering one or more parishes, elects one.

City, town, and village government

Each is run by an elected mayor and a city council or board of aldermen. Many also elect a police chief. They are classed by population: cities have 5,000 or more people, towns1,001 to 4,999, and villages 1,000 or fewer.

Find your parishWho to call where you live

How the main offices compare

OfficeElected byWorks inMain jobTerm
U.S. Senator (2)The whole stateWashington, D.C.Votes on national laws; approves federal judges and treaties6 years
U.S. Representative (6)One districtWashington, D.C.Votes on national laws; federal tax and spending bills start in the House2 years
GovernorThe whole stateBaton RougeRuns state government; signs or vetoes state laws4 years, up to 2 in a row
State senator (39)One districtBaton RougeVotes on state laws and the state budget4 years, up to 3 in a row
State representative (105)One districtBaton RougeVotes on state laws and the state budget4 years, up to 3 in a row
Parish president or police jurorYour parish, or your district of itYour parish seatParish roads, drainage, and services outside towns4 years
Mayor and councilYour city, town, or villageCity hallStreets, water, trash, and police inside town limits4 years

Every legislator, parish, and town

Select a heading to open the full list.

Names and photos come from the Legislature, the U.S. House, and official state websites, and are updated when this site's data is refreshed. The short bios were last reviewed on . Officials change after elections, so check with the office if something looks out of date.