Candidates Debate Louisiana's 6th District Seat
Seven of ten candidates for the newly drawn 6th Congressional District outlined their priorities at a Baton Rouge Press Club forum.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Elections
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Seven of ten candidates for Louisiana's 6th Congressional District outlined their priorities at a Baton Rouge Press Club forum held one day before the election. Three candidates, Lindsay Garcia, Rick Edmonds, and Blake Miguez, did not attend.
Why it matters
The seat is being vacated by Rep. Cleo Fields after the legislature redrew the district earlier this year following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the state's congressional map was unconstitutional. The forum gave voters in the redrawn district a direct look at the candidates before they cast ballots.
Seven of ten declared candidates attended the Baton Rouge Press Club forum, while Lindsay Garcia, Rick Edmonds, and Blake Miguez were absent. The source does not report vote totals or the outcome of the election.
The players
Blake Miguez
Miguez is a Louisiana candidate for the 6th Congressional District who declined to participate in WBRZ's early October debate and did not attend the Baton Rouge Press Club forum.
Cleo Fields
Fields is the Louisiana congressman whose departure from the 6th Congressional District opened the seat now being contested.
The details
The Baton Rouge Press Club hosted the candidate forum for the 6th Congressional District, a seat drawn anew after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Louisiana's congressional map unconstitutional. Candidates on the stage include Monique Appeaning, a Republican and former mayoral aide and government analyst, Chauna Banks, a Democrat and former East Baton Rouge Metro Councilwoman, Rufus Craig, an attorney and Libertarian, and Larry Davis, a Republican minister.
Timeline
Earlier in 2026: The legislature redrew the 6th Congressional District map.
Early October 2026: Blake Miguez declined to participate in WBRZ's debate.
November 2, 2026: The Baton Rouge Press Club candidate forum was held.
November 3, 2026: Election day for the 6th Congressional District.
Political Context
The redrawn 6th District emerged directly from the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that the state's congressional map was unconstitutional, which forced the legislature to redraw district lines. Candidates from across the partisan spectrum, including Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian contenders, are now competing for a seat shaped by that ruling.
Voters in the redrawn 6th Congressional District will choose a new representative on election day, November 3, 2026. The forum offered a chance to compare candidates on priorities before ballots are cast.
The takeaway
Redrawn districts can reshape races quickly, so voters should check the new boundaries and candidate positions before election day. Candidate forums are one way to compare priorities directly.
Further reading
For more on the race, see Elections coverage across Louisiana.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WBRZ.
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