Louisiana Democratic Party
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Louisiana Democratic Party
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|
|---|---|
 |
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| Chairperson | Karen Carter Peterson |
| Senate leader | Sharon Weston Broome (acting) |
| House leader | Walt Leger, III (acting) |
| Founded | 1828 |
| Headquarters | PO Box 4385 Baton Rouge, LA 70821 |
| Ideology |
Centrism Fiscal conservatism Modern liberalism Populism (historical) |
| National affiliation | Democratic Party |
| Colors | Blue |
| Seats in the Upper House |
15 / 39
|
| Seats in the Lower House |
45 / 105
|
| Website | |
| louisianademocrats |
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The Louisiana Democratic Party is the affiliate of the national Democratic Party of the United States in the state of Louisiana.
Dominated by the planter elite through much of the 19th century, the party was historically prominent in politics since before the American Civil War. After struggling to regain power through Reconstruction, after the Republican Party became competitive due to support by most African Americans and many other Unionists, the party used violence and fraud to regain control of the state. Since the official end of reconstruction in 1877, the Democratic Party won 31 of 35 elections for governor.
From the turn of the 19th century through much of the 1960s, they dominated state politics due to having disenfranchised most blacks and many poor whites through discriminatory requirements and practices related to voter registration and voting, resulting in the decline of the Republican and Populist parties in the state. The Democrats won the governorship in every election from 1877 until 1980, when Republican David Treen was elected in a sign of the realignment of political affiliation among white conservatives in the state.
With the state dominated by a conservative white majority that has shifted to the Republican Party since the late 20th century, by 2011 the Democratic Party held no statewide elected seats after the Attorney General switched to the Republican Party in February of that year. Following the fall elections, the Democrats held 50 seats in the 105-seat State House, and in 2012 held one of six Congressional seats. Current Governor John B. Edwards is a Democrat.
In 2011, the Louisiana Democratic Party won none of the seven statewide constitutional offices. With 50 seats in the 105-seat State House, it had considerable representation from local districts. Democrats hold one of the state's six U.S. House seats.
The party and its members are governed by a set of by-laws, which explain how the party is to operate and the responsibilities officials of the party have. The party further operates under a party constitution adopted in 1998 consisting of 11 articles. The articles cover the topics of: subordination, name, purpose, party membership, management, election, composition and appointment of the Democratic State Central Committee, organization of committee, officers, by-laws and amendments.
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