Why is the 2026 Louisiana Senate race closer than expected, according to Izzy?

Izzy, reporting for The Rest Is Politics, said Louisiana has had almost no national coverage because Trump has taken more than 60% there since 2016, yet Democrats are doing better than in any of the last five or six elections. She put it down mainly to the economy, since Louisiana has the highest poverty rate of any state, and to a return of open racism since 2016. Old-school Republicans were also angry about the Epstein files and renaming the Gulf of Mexico.

• One school moved detention to lunchtime because parents could not afford to collect children who missed the bus.
• Democratic candidate Jamie Davis had received no national party funding and was targeted with an AI-generated ad.
• Record early turnout was driven heavily by black voters.

▸In their words

“at the minute they don't need one everyone is voting against Trump” Izzy · at 42:18 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on The Rest Is Politics (2026-11-03). Read the whole episode summary →

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