There is little doubt about which party will ultimately hold the two seats: the 2nd District is overwhelmingly Democratic, and the 5th District is heavily Republican.
But it’s less clear whether either will choose a winner Saturday, or if — under Louisiana’s all-party primary system, in which the top two finishers advance to a one-on-one showdown if no candidate tops 50% of the vote — one or both races will head to a runoff in April.
2nd District
In the 2nd District, Carter and Peterson are the best-known candidates in the 15-person field.
Peterson, a former state Democratic Party chairwoman, has run as a progressive by embracing policy positions like the Green New Deal and Medicare-for-all. She has pointed out that Louisiana has never elected a Black woman to Congress.
She also has deep ties to leading establishment Democratic figures, including support from an influential group of veteran Black Democratic operatives: Donna Brazile, Minyon Moore, Leah Daughtry and Yolanda Caraway.
Carter has been more comfortable embracing the establishment banner, casting himself as an effective legislator and touting his endorsement from Richmond, South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, Louisiana teachers’ unions, and the Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO.
“For me, it’s never been about issues that make the biggest headlines. It’s about the issues that make the biggest difference in people’s lives,” he said in an ad.
Among the other 13 candidates is activist Gary Chambers Jr., who has also built a following in part stemming from his criticism in June of a Louisiana school board member who defended naming a school after Robert E. Lee — and who then appeared to be online shopping while at a hearing on the topic.
“You sit your arrogant self in here and sit on there shopping while the pain and the hurt of the people of this community is on display because you don’t give a damn and you should resign,” Chambers told the school board member in the hearing.
5th District
In the 5th District, national Republicans have worked hard to send the signal that Letlow is their preference.
Former Rep. Ralph Abraham — whose retirement opened the door for his former chief of staff Luke Letlow’s victory in December — opted against running again for his old seat. State Rep. Lance Harris, the second-place finisher to Letlow last year, also stayed out.
And Julia Letlow’s entrance into the race effectively kept other major Republican names out.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and the No. 2 House Republican, Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, backed Letlow. So did former President Donald Trump, who called her “a wonderful and talented person.” Former Vice President Mike Pence and the state GOP have also supported Letlow.
Earlier this month, she told ABC that Luke had always encouraged her to run for office if the opportunity presented itself. She said spending so much time on the campaign trail with her late husband had prepared her for the run.
“Listening to the people from every parish and listening to their dreams for their future and their ideas on how to make this region better,” Letlow said. “They stole my heart as I campaigned right along with Luke and so I feel equipped and ready to carry that torch forward.”
The question in Letlow’s race is whether she will be held under 50% of the vote. Sandra “Candy” Christophe is the only Democrat in the 12-person field, and could be in position to benefit if other Republicans siphon votes away from Letlow. Democrats in Louisiana’s 5th District have gotten 30 to 35% support in recent congressional elections there, and matching those numbers against a split GOP field could position Christophe for a runoff.
If Letlow wins, she would increase the record number of Republican women in the House to 31.
CNN’s Jasmine Wright, Annie Grayer and Dan Merica contributed to this report.