(The Center Square) — U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., has secured his eighth consecutive term in Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday.
Scalise secured 67% of the vote according to preliminary results from the Louisiana secretary of state’s office.
The House Majority Leader outpaced his opponents, amassing more than $13 million in contributions by election season’s end.
Scalise focused his campaign on national security, immigration, and support for Israel, rallying his district’s conservative base.
His Democratic challenger was Mel Manuel, a teacher and a director with the Louisiana Abortion Fund. He raised about $60,000 and managed to secure 22% of the vote.
Randall Arrington, a former naval officer and professor, manage to receive 14,000 votes.
Scalise has been a member of Louisiana’s congressional delegation since 2008.
He briefly ran for House Speaker in 2023 but later withdrew. In August 2023 he announced that he had been diagnosed with blood cancer. He soon began treatment and announced remission by early 2024. Before Congress, Scalise served in the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives.
Scalise has cast key votes on major bills that reflect his alignment with conservative priorities.
Recent notable votes include his support for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, legislation to repeal the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for foreign travelers, and the Lower Energy Costs Act, aiming to cut energy expenses by promoting domestic production.
Scalise also supported the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, intended to curb federal spending, as well as resolutions denouncing socialism and calling for an end to the national emergency declared for COVID-19.
On the more contentious and noise-making votes, he supported Kevin McCarthy in the race for House Speaker and opposed the resolution to remove him from the position, later voting in favor of Louisiana colleague and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
