Louisiana voters share their key issues as polls show tight Senate race

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Election Day is Tuesday, and as candidates battle for your vote down the stretch, some experts say Louisiana’s Senate race could be the biggest upset of the midterms.

Voters in southeast Louisiana said one key issue is driving turnout: the economy.

“It’s impossible. Like me, I’m retired, to survive with just one Social Security check,” said Lisset Elvir, an Arabi voter.

The tension between prices and wages that brought voters out early in record numbers could also be a big contributor to turnout on Election Day Tuesday.

Robert Collins, political analyst at Dillard University, said what’s more surprising is who cast Louisiana’s 530,000 early votes.

“Black voters are voting disproportionately high, and right now, Democratic voters are actually outvoting Republican voters,” said Collins. “That’s unusual.”

According to Louisiana’s secretary of state, 43% of early votes were cast by registered Democrats, 39% Republicans and 17% were independents or no party voters. 34% of Louisiana’s early votes were cast by Black voters.

Fred Hyde from New Orleans said his vote is based on the economy and the war in Iran.

“I think we just need a check, and we need a balance,” he said.

That midterm check could come to both the House and the Senate. All 435 house seats are up for grabs, plus 35 senate seats.

Collins predicts both the House and Senate will flip from Republican to Democrat control.

Fox 8 Political Analyst Mike Sherman said that could include a long-shot Louisiana upset in the race to replace Sen. Bill Cassidy.

“Louisiana was the one state where it seemed like the Republican advantage was so significant the race couldn’t be competitive, and Julia Letlow has largely towed the party line, but that’s a strategy that now is in jeopardy now as we are in a single-digit race,” Sherman said.

Letlow is still the favorite, according to Sherman, and if Jamie Davis would pull off a victory on Tuesday, Sherman said it would be the biggest upset in this election cycle.

“I can tell you a lot of the national media would immediately be on airplanes flying down here, wondering how they missed Jamie Davis doing so well in the US senate race,” he said.

In the final hours before Election Day, President Donald Trump will hold a tele-rally for Republican Julia Letlow as Democrat Jamie Davis continues local campaigning in a grassroots style political experts say is winning over voters.

We reached out to Julia Letlow’s campaign for comment. A campaign spokesperson sent us the following statement:

“Julia Letlow is going to win because she has a proven record of delivering real results for Louisiana. Louisianans know she has secured hundreds of millions for our communities, fought for parents’ rights in education, and worked to lower costs for working families, a record that stands in stark contrast to her opponent who would be nothing more than a rubber stamp for Chuck Schumer and the radical left.”

We also sat down with Jamie Davis for an exclusive interview.

“We’ve touched voters in all ways. Phone-banking, emails, text messaging, knocking doors — I even walked a parade in New Iberia.” he said. “ I want to be very clear. I’m indebted to the people of Louisiana. They will be the people that elected me.”

You can watch Davis’ entire interview below or by clicking HERE.

Polls will be open on Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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