CAJUNS FALL TO MISSOURI STATE IN EXTRAS, DROP SECOND GAME OF SERIES 1C THE
ACADIANA
ADVOCATE
T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M
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S u n d ay, F e b r u a ry 15, 2026
ELECTION 2026
$2.50X
LET’S ROLL
La.’s two biggest races lack major Democrat
LEFT and BELOW: Colorful float riders throw beads, footballs and toys for paradegoers during the youngsville Mardi Gras parade on Saturday. PHOTOS By ROBIN MAy
U.S. Senate, 5th District contests reveal party’s weakness in state
MARDI GRAS 2026
INSIDE, 4A, 1B
THEADVOCATE.COM
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
Republicans are fielding candidates with winning records at the ballot box for the U.S. Senate and the 5th Congressional District, the two marquee political races this year. Louisiana’s Democrats? Not at all. It’s the latest sign of Democrats’ weakness in the Bayou State, where Republicans hold all the statewide elected offices and two-thirds of the seats in the state House and Senate. Former Gov. John Bel Edwards, state Sen. Jay Luneau, state Sen. Gary Carter, former U.S. Rep. Chris John and former Senate candidate Luke Mixon — all took a pass when Louisiana Democratic Party chair Randal Gaines asked them to consider running for the U.S. Senate seat. The three-day qualifying period for this year’s elections ended Friday. Gaines also couldn’t recruit state Sen. Katrina Jackson of Monroe to run for the 5th Congressional District, which stretches from Baton Rouge to Monroe. Jackson said that, after praying on it, she decided it didn’t present a good opportunity for her. “They are worried about risking their political capital on a race that won’t produce a likely win,” Gaines said Friday. “We can’t coerce anyLetlow one to run.” Meanwhile, Republicans are suffering from an embarrassment of riches that is already turning the Senate and 5th Congressional DisFleming trict races into intraparty slugfests. U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, and state Treasurer John Fleming are challenging Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, in the May Cassidy 16 Republican primary. Fleming is attacking Letlow and Cassidy as not being conservative enough, while Cassidy is calling Letlow “a liberal.” She is highlighting the fact that she has President Donald Trump’s endorsement, and they don’t. Letlow is vacating her 5th Congressional District seat to challenge Cassidy. In the race to replace her, two Republican legislators — state Sen. Rick Edmonds of Baton Rouge and state Rep.
ä See RACES, page 4A
WEATHER HIGH 72 LOW 50 PAGE 6B
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INSIDE: ACADIANA MARDI GRAS PULLOUT SPECIAL SECTION
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Meet the King and Queen of Gabriel 2026
Meet Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Inc.’s King and Queen of 2026
King Gabriel LXXXVII John Bordelon and Queen
King Toussaint L’Ouverture LXVIII Chris Terrell Ervin and
Evangeline LXXXVII Lily Hutchison
Queen Suzanne Simonne’ LXVIII Ja’Nya Anae Williams
Page 1B
Page 1B
PHOTO By ROBIN MAy
PROVIDED PHOTOS
Business ......................1E Deaths .........................2B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Living............................1D Opinion ........................4B Commentary ................5B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
101ST yEAR, NO. 230