RHP MOORE DOMINATES MILWAUKEE IN FIRST START FOR LSU 1C
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T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
ELECTION 2026
La.’s two biggest races lack major Democrat
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
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S u n d ay, F e b r u a ry 15, 2026
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U.S. Senate, 5th District contests reveal party’s weakness in state
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.
STAFF PHOTOS By HILARy SCHEINUK
The Krewe of Spanish Town rolls through its namesake neighborhood on Valentine’s Day in downtown Baton Rouge on Saturday. The parade, in all its hot pink glory, is organized by the Mystic Krewe for the Preservation of Lagniappe in Louisiana.
ä See RACES, page 5A
Freshman applications breaking records at LSU
And most of them are from out of state, officials say BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
In the past decade, the number of students applying to LSU has nearly tripled — and the number of applicants from out of state has soared. More than 62,000 potential incoming freshmen have applied this cycle, university officials say, compared with 29,000 in 2020. While the pool of applicants swells, so does the proportion of out-of-state students interested in becoming Tigers. A staggering 82% of applications came from non-Louisiana residents, up from 49% in 2017.
MARDI GRAS
2026
INSIDE, 1B THEADVOCATE. COM
ABOVE: A painted pup named Blackpink watches as the Krewe of Spanish Town rolls on Saturday. ABOVE LEFT: The Golden Guys perform at the Spanish Town parade. LEFT: Paradegoers revel in bubbles during the parade.
ä See LSU, page 4A
WEATHER HIGH 76 LOW 52 PAGE 8B
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