Louisiana 5th District
Julia Letlow (R) gave up the seat to run for U. 9 candidates were on the ballot on November 3, 2026.
What the betting markets sayprices of Nov 9
6% Dan McKayStewart Cathey Jr. 94%
Polymarket, $31K bet. A price is a chance: 6 cents on McKay pays a dollar if they win.
Stewart Cathey Jr.
Republican · state senator, Army Reserve officer
No gradeNo grade yetI have no votes in Congress to count for Cathey, and what Cathey has said and done settles only 1 of my principles. I went through it on October 21. A grade needs 4.
Raised $245,550 since January 2025: 97% from people, 3% from PACs and other committees. The filing at FEC.gov
Misti Cordell
Republican · Board of Regents chair, healthcare consultant
ALiberty Score A100 out of 100 across 4 principles. Graded on what Cordell has said and done, because I have no votes in Congress to count for Cordell.
Raised $658,608 since January 2025: 65% from people, 31% the candidate’s own money, 3% from PACs and other committees. The filing at FEC.gov
Omar Dantzler
Republican · Hammond man, security and law enforcement background
No gradeNo grade yetI have no votes in Congress to count for Dantzler, and what Dantzler has said and done settles only 1 of my principles. I went through it on October 30. A grade needs 4.
Michael Echols
Republican · state representative, builder and businessman
ALiberty Score A100 out of 100 across 4 principles. Graded on what Echols has said and done, because I have no votes in Congress to count for Echols.
Raised $3,188,840 since January 2025: 76% the candidate’s own money, 18% from people, 5% transfers and other income. The filing at FEC.gov
Gabe Firment
Republican · state representative, House Insurance chairman
CLiberty Score C76 out of 100 across 4 principles. Graded on what Firment has said and done, because I have no votes in Congress to count for Firment.
Austin Magee
Republican · Franklinton industrial contractor, first-time candidate
No gradeNo grade yetI have no votes in Congress to count for Magee, and what Magee has said and done settles only 1 of my principles. I went through it on October 21. A grade needs 4.
Raised $11,431 since January 2025: 77% from people, 14% transfers and other income, 10% the candidate’s own money. The filing at FEC.gov
Dan McKay
Democrat · Bunkie attorney, Vietnam veteran, former public defender
No gradeNo grade yetI have no votes in Congress to count for McKay, and what McKay has said and done settles only 0 of my principles. I went through it on October 30. A grade needs 4.
Raised $121,182 since January 2025: 62% from people, 34% the candidate’s own money, 2% transfers and other income. The filing at FEC.gov
Patricia Moore
Democrat · state representative from Monroe, retired insurance employee
No gradeNo grade yetI have no votes in Congress to count for Moore, and what Moore has said and done settles only 0 of my principles. I went through it on October 27. A grade needs 4.
Raised $23,054 since January 2025: 51% from people, 49% the candidate’s own money. The filing at FEC.gov
Antonio Wilson
Democrat · Tallulah construction company owner
No gradeNothing on recordI have no votes in Congress to count for Wilson, and I found nothing Wilson has said or done on any of these questions: no campaign positions and no interview I could check. I went through it on October 18.
Voting in Louisiana: how to register, vote early or vote by mail. Election Day was November 3.
Side by side
A solid letter is a grade from recorded votes on that principle. An outlined letter is on the same scale, for a candidate with no votes: it comes from what that candidate has said and done, and every source is listed below.
Stewart Cathey Jr., on the record
I have no votes in Congress to count for Cathey, so the grade above comes from this list: what Cathey has said and done on my principles. Each line has its source, and each is marked with the same test I use for votes.
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His campaign says that in the Louisiana Senate he worked to ensure girls have a fair playing field in sports.
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Keeping girls' sport fair for girls is with liberty on equal rights.
Misti Cordell, on the record
I have no votes in Congress to count for Cordell, so the grade above comes from this list: what Cordell has said and done on my principles. Each line has its source, and each is marked with the same test I use for votes.
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At a September 2026 forum on the Iran war she described a threat, using Iran's people as the subject without naming Iran or a policy, and said she supports President Trump.
“They have continuously as a country and people liked to chant death to America and burn American flags, and they're a threat”
- By the test I use for votes
- Not clear either way
Her words never name Iran or a policy such as sanctions or strikes, so the line cannot be placed on either side.
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Asked on a nonpartisan voter guide whether the US relationship with Israel is important, she said yes and called Israel a trusted ally.
“They are a trusted ally with a strategic location.”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Treating Israel as an ally is with liberty on free nations.
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Her platform says she will end job-killing regulations.
“end job-killing regulations”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Less regulation is with liberty on free markets.
-
Her platform says she will oppose woke indoctrination in schools and keep girls' sports fair.
“girls’ sports should be fair”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Keeping women's and girls' sport fair is with liberty on equal rights.
-
Her platform says she will oppose woke indoctrination in schools.
“oppose woke indoctrination”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Opposing race and gender ideology in schools is the with side.
-
Asked what separation of church and state means to her, she said no one religion should be forced on Americans and that the phrase is not in the Constitution.
“There is no such constitutional thing as “Separation of Church and State”.”
- By the test I use for votes
- Not clear either way
She denies the separation principle but names no law putting a religion's rules into force, so the words do not settle a side.
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Her platform says she will secure the border, finish the wall and stop illegal immigration.
“I’ll secure the border, finish the wall, stop illegal immigration, shut down the cartels”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Securing the border and finishing the wall is the with side of the measure.
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In a questionnaire for public radio, Cordell said she would enforce immigration laws and support law enforcement.
“In Congress, I will support law enforcement and enforce our immigration laws.”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Enforcing immigration law is with liberty on borders.
Omar Dantzler, on the record
I have no votes in Congress to count for Dantzler, so the grade above comes from this list: what Dantzler has said and done on my principles. Each line has its source, and each is marked with the same test I use for votes.
-
Said as a 2019 candidate for governor that chemical plants should pay higher taxes.
“I think they should be paying higher taxes”
- By the test I use for votes
- Against liberty
A named higher tax on an industry is the against side of free markets, whoever proposes it.
Michael Echols, on the record
I have no votes in Congress to count for Echols, so the grade above comes from this list: what Echols has said and done on my principles. Each line has its source, and each is marked with the same test I use for votes.
-
His Issues page says he supports confronting the regime in Iran, without naming a policy.
“confronting the Iranian regime that sponsors violence across the Middle East”
- By the test I use for votes
- Not clear either way
No sanction, deal or action is named, so it does not settle the measure.
-
His Issues page says he supports standing with Israel as it defends itself against terrorism.
“standing with Israel as it defends itself against terrorism”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Backing Israel's right to defend itself is the with side.
-
His Issues page says Congress should remove federal regulations that raise costs.
“removing federal regulations that drive up the cost of rebuilding homes and businesses after storms”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Less regulation is with liberty on free markets.
-
His Issues page says America must keep the strongest military in the world and rebuild it.
“The United States must maintain the strongest military in the world”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Funding and equipping the armed forces is the with side.
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His Issues page says those who entered illegally should be returned to their home countries and the border secured.
“We must secure the border, end the policies that encourage illegal immigration, and ensure that those who enter the country illegally are returned to their home countries.”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Securing the border and deporting those who break the law is the with side.
Gabe Firment, on the record
I have no votes in Congress to count for Firment, so the grade above comes from this list: what Firment has said and done on my principles. Each line has its source, and each is marked with the same test I use for votes.
-
His campaign site says he fights for lower taxes, without naming a tax.
“fights for lower taxes”
- By the test I use for votes
- Not clear either way
Lower taxes with no tax named does not settle the measure.
-
He opposes a large new federal body to regulate each AI application before it reaches the market.
“I do not support creating an enormous new federal bureaucracy that attempts to regulate every new AI application before it reaches the marketplace.”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Opposing a new layer of regulation on business is with on the free markets test.
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He says he is wary of government subsidies, tax policy or intervention that pick winners and losers in the marketplace.
“I have philosophical concerns whenever the government uses subsidies, tax policy, or other government intervention to pick winners and losers in the marketplace.”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Preferring the market to government intervention is with on the free markets test.
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He is listed as a sponsor of the 2021 Fairness in Women's Sports Act bill in the Louisiana House.
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Backing a bill to keep school women's sport female is with liberty on equal rights.
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He is listed as a cosponsor of the 2024 Louisiana bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in schools, and he is on the list of House members voting yes on final passage.
- By the test I use for votes
- Against liberty
Ten Commandments in classrooms by law is against liberty on conscience.
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His campaign site lists securing the border as the first thing he says he will fight for in Congress.
“Secure the Border & American values”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Securing the border is with liberty on borders.
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In a questionnaire he says the first duty on immigration is to secure the border, enforce the law and remove dangerous criminals who are here illegally.
“The federal government's first responsibility on immigration is to secure our border and enforce our laws. I support strong border enforcement, additional personnel and technology where needed, and the removal of dangerous criminal illegal immigrants.”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
Securing the border, enforcing the law and removing those here illegally is with on the borders test.
Austin Magee, on the record
I have no votes in Congress to count for Magee, so the grade above comes from this list: what Magee has said and done on my principles. Each line has its source, and each is marked with the same test I use for votes.
-
Says he supports a secure border, strong immigration control and deportations that are effective and safe.
“I support a secure border and strong immigration control, as well as effective and safe deportations.”
- By the test I use for votes
- With liberty
A secure border and deportations is with liberty on borders.
Dan McKay, on the record
I have no votes in Congress to count for McKay, so the grade above comes from this list: what McKay has said and done on my principles. Each line has its source, and each is marked with the same test I use for votes.
-
At a 21 September 2026 forum he called the war in Iran ill-advised and without basis, and said ending it was the first step on inflation.
“That was totally ill-advised. There's no basis for it.”
- By the test I use for votes
- Not clear either way
Spot-check 28 Oct: the quoted words do not themselves name Iran, so by BRIEF rule 3 the line is unclear whatever the headline around it says.
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He says the district should stop the culture wars and talk about jobs and population loss.
“Enough with the culture wars!”
- By the test I use for votes
- Not clear either way
No policy on schools, sport, DEI or the military is named, so the line does not settle the measure.
Patricia Moore, on the record
I have no votes in Congress to count for Moore, so the grade above comes from this list: what Moore has said and done on my principles. Each line has its source, and each is marked with the same test I use for votes.
-
Asked how she would handle rising prices, she said the war with the Islamic Republic was not approved by Congress, has no exit plan, and must be stopped; no policy or vote named.
“We are spending $2 billion a day on a war that Congress didn't approve from the beginning, and there is no exit plan. We gotta stop this war,”
- By the test I use for votes
- Not clear either way
'End the war' with no policy, bill or vote named is unclear for anyone (BRIEF precedent).
Who is on the ballot: the state election offices, as listed on Wikipedia on November 3, 2026, checked against the candidate file of the Federal Election Commission. See a name that is wrong or missing? Say so in the discussion.
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Louisiana 5th District
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