(The Center Square) − Louisiana’s race for the 1st Congressional District seat is nearing its end as U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La, hopes to secure an eighth term.
Scalise is currently being challenged by four candidates, including two Republicans, one Democrat and one unaffiliated candidate in Louisiana’s open primary, which is scheduled for Nov. 5.
Scalise has been serving Louisiana since 1996, when he began his career in the Louisiana House of Representatives.
The House Majority Leader trounces all challengers in campaign contributions. As of June 29, he has raised over ten million dollars and has spent over $12 million, according to data from the Federal Election Commission. The only challenger with any reported contribution data is Manuel Mel, a Democrat who has raised more than $10,000.
Scalise has served as the Majority Leader in the House since 2023, and previously served on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Subcommittee on Energy and Power and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
Surveys consistently show that crime and the economy are top issues in the nation and Scalise has done his part as a Republican, voting to pass President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act,
“Every year Washington has been spending more than it takes in. For years, people would say that somewhere it’s gotta start, where we start righting the ship. Where we finally started cutting spending, yet it never happened.” Scalise said in a news conference. “That tax and spending burden is one of the reasons families are struggling today, why inflation is skyrocketing out of control.
A survey in August 2024 revealed Louisiana voters’ top issues. Crime and education topped the list, which is unsurprising given that studies consistently show the Pelican State to have some of the worst crime rates and quality of education in the nation. Another top issue included insurance rates, which have skyrocketed in recent years.
“From day one, I have fought FEMA’s ill-conceived Risk Rating 2.0 because their process was secretive, unfair, and quite frankly, jeopardizes the stability of the entire National Flood Insurance Program,” Scalise said in a 2023 news release. “It’s time for unelected FEMA bureaucrats to finally come clean and show homeowners the data and calculations behind Risk Rating 2.0 that have made flood insurance premiums so unaffordable for millions of families across America.”
According to a letter sent to FEMA, reports indicated that rising premiums had made flood insurance unaffordable for many Americans, leading to a significant number of policy cancellations and raising concerns about the program’s stability.
The committee requested a detailed briefing and documents to assess the new rate calculations and their impact on policyholders. Lawmakers expressed concerns over the transparency and accuracy of the premium assessments, seeking clarity on how the changes affect the broader insurance market.
On Sept. 5, Kenner Police Department arrested 23-year-old Diego Rodriguez-Salvador, an undocumented immigrant, for kidnapping and raping a 13-year-old girl.
“Biden and Harris are in the White House right now. They can and must act immediately to secure the border and stop these horrific crimes,” Scalise wrote in a post on X.
Scalise was a co-sponsor of the Laken-Riley Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain non-citizens for crimes such as burglary or larceny.
Laken Riley was killed in February in Georgia by an undocumented immigrant, who had been previously arrested in New York. It is unclear if Rodriguez-Salvador has a criminal record.