Louisiana 5th District House race proceeds to runoff

Democratic Louisiana state Rep. Patricia Moore and Republican state Rep. Gabe Firment are projected to advance to a runoff in Louisiana’s 5th House District race, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ).

Moore had less than a one percentage point advantage over Firment as of 12:53 a.m. with 93 percent of votes in on Wednesday morning, according to DDHQ. Both candidates received just under 18 percent of the vote each, with the remaining vote total split among seven other candidates.

The two candidates will proceed to a runoff on Dec. 12 to determine who will replace GOP Rep. Julia Letlow, after she left her seat to launch a successful bid for Senate.

The 5th District encompasses portions of northeastern and central Louisiana. The primary race in this district was canceled after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the state’s new GOP-drawn map was an unconstitutional gerrymander.

Moore was elected to the Louisiana House in 2019 and has advocated for protecting and expanding healthcare access, investing in small businesses and lowering everyday costs, according to her campaign website .

Firment has served in the Louisiana House for six years, where he chairs the state House Insurance Committee. He campaigned on lowering taxes, strengthening public safety, safeguarding Social Security and Medicare benefits and protecting Second Amendment rights.