Louisiana special election lineups set

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BATON ROUGE, La., April 6 (UPI) -- Steve Scalise is a step closer to winning the 1st Congressional District seat previously held by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, having won the Republican primary.

Scalise, a state senator, will face off against Democrat Gilda Reed May 3 to represent one of the most conservative House districts in the country, The Hill reported Sunday.

He handily won the Republican primary Saturday, beating out state Rep. Tim Burns.

In the 6th Congressional District, former Republican state Rep. Woody Jenkins will go to head-to-head with Democratic state Rep. Don Cazayoux in a special election next month to decide who will replace former Rep. Rep. Richard Baker, a Republican.

"(Cazayoux) is a strong, independent leader who shares the values and priorities of middle class families in Louisiana's 6th District," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Jenkins, a longtime state legislator, in 1996 narrowly lost statewide to U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat.

"Jenkins authored many elements of the current Louisiana Constitution, including the Preamble, the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the State Tax Limitation," the National Republican Congressional Committee said in a memorandum.