Special Election Set for Lafayette Parish House Seat After Emerson Joins Landry Staff

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — Northern Lafayette Parish voters will choose a new state representative this spring after Julie Emerson left the legislature to become Governor Jeff Landry’s chief of staff.

House Speaker Phillip DeVillier signed a proclamation Thursday setting the special election timeline for House District 39. Qualifying runs February 25-27, with the primary election on May 16. A runoff would be held June 27.

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What Lafayette Parish Voters Need to Know

The seat represents the 39th House District, which includes Carencro, Scott, Ossun, and portions of southern St. Landry Parish. Emerson won reelection in 2023 for a term running through 2028. Whoever wins will serve out that term.

READ MORE: Emerson Leaves House Leadership for Governor's Administration

The district won’t have representation during the regular legislative session that begins in April. Emerson has said she’ll continue helping constituents who need assistance, and the district office will stay open during the transition.

Emerson made history as the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Louisiana Legislature when she won the seat in 2015 at age 27. She spent the past two years chairing the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, becoming the first woman to lead a finance committee in Louisiana history.

How to Qualify as a Candidate

Candidates must qualify with the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court during the three-day qualifying period. According to the Secretary of State, candidates can qualify by paying a fee or by filing a nominating petition.

Candidates pay the qualifying fee in cash, certified or cashier’s check, U.S. postal money order, or money order from a state or national bank. Candidates who choose the nominating petition route must collect signatures from registered voters within the district.

State law requires candidates to be registered voters in the jurisdiction where they’re running. They cannot have felony convictions that prohibit candidacy and must vote in the precinct where they claim a homestead exemption.

Timeline for District 39 Special Election

Voters who want to participate must register by April 15 in person or by mail, or by April 25 through the GeauxVote online system.

Early voting for the May primary runs May 2-9, except Sunday, May 3. Absentee ballot requests are due by May 12 at 4:30 p.m., though military and overseas voters have different deadlines.

A runoff would have early voting June 13-20, except Sunday, June 15.

What Emerson’s Departure Means for the Legislature

Emerson’s move to the governor’s office leaves Republicans with one less seat in the House. The party still holds a supermajority in both chambers. The Ways and Means Committee will need a new chair before the regular session begins.

Emerson pushed through Landry’s tax overhaul package that cut personal and corporate income taxes while raising the sales tax for five years and eliminating the corporate franchise tax. She also wrote legislation creating the LA GATOR school choice program and changing Louisiana’s federal election system to closed primaries.

Before entering politics, Emerson owned Lagniappe Communications Group, a PR and political consulting firm. She served as a key adviser to U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins during his 2016 congressional campaign.