| Louisiana's 8th congressional district | |
|---|---|
| Obsolete district | |
| Created | 1913 |
| Eliminated | 1993 |
| Years active | 1913-1993 |
Louisiana's 8th congressional district was a congressional district which was created in 1913 and eliminated in 1993 afterLouisiana lost its eighth congressional seat in the1990 U. S. census. For its entire existence, it was based inAlexandria and included much of the north-central part of the state.
Beginning in 1972, the district was redrawn at the direction ofGovernorEdwin Edwards to take in liberal precincts in northernBaton Rouge, the northernFlorida Parishes, and theMississippi River corridor between Baton Rouge andNew Orleans—making Alexandria the district's northern boundary—in order to aid the return to Congress ofGillis Long. It also movedLaSalle Parish, the home of conservative incumbentSpeedy Long, who defeated Gillis Long in 1964, into the5th district.
The last representative for the 8th district wasClyde Holloway, a Republican fromForest Hill in ruralRapides Parish first elected in 1986. In each of his three elections, he defeated a Black Democratic challenger, the last being future RepresentativeCleo Fields. In 1992, Holloway's home was drawn into the6th district when Louisiana lost a House seat following the1990 census, and he was defeated by fellow RepublicanRichard Baker, who was first elected to the House at the same time as Holloway.
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