title: 2008 Louisiana's 1st congressional district special election
text: # 2008 Louisiana's 1st congressional district special election
  
  Elections in Louisiana :
  
  Federal government
  
  Presidential elections
  
  1812
  
  1816
  
  1820
  
  1824
  
  1828
  
  1832
  
  1836
  
  1840
  
  1844
  
  1848
  
  1852
  
  1856
  
  1860
  
  1864
  
  1868
  
  1872
  
  1876
  
  1880
  
  1884
  
  1888
  
  1892
  
  1896
  
  1900
  
  1904
  
  1908
  
  1912
  
  1916
  
  1920
  
  1924
  
  1928
  
  1932
  
  1936
  
  1940
  
  1944
  
  1948
  
  1952
  
  1956
  
  1960
  
  1964
  
  1968
  
  1972
  
  1976
  
  1980
  
  1984
  
  1988
  
  1992
  
  1996
  
  2000
  
  2004
  
  2008
  
  2012
  
  2016
  
  2020
  
  2024
  
  Presidential primaries
  
  Democratic
  
  2004
  
  2008
  
  2012
  
  2016
  
  2020
  
  Republican
  
  2004
  
  2008
  
  2012
  
  2016
  
  2020
  
  U.S. Senate elections
  
  1812
  
  1813
  
  1813 sp
  
  1817
  
  1818
  
  1818 sp
  
  1819
  
  1823
  
  1824
  
  1824 sp
  
  1825
  
  1829
  
  1831
  
  1831 sp
  
  1833 sp
  
  1835
  
  1836 sp
  
  1837
  
  1837 sp
  
  1840
  
  1843
  
  1844 sp
  
  1847
  
  1847 sp
  
  1848
  
  1852
  
  1853
  
  1853 sp
  
  1859
  
  1868
  
  1876
  
  1876 sp
  
  1879
  
  1882
  
  1889
  
  1891
  
  1894
  
  1894 sp
  
  1896
  
  1900
  
  1904
  
  1908
  
  1910 sp
  
  1912
  
  1914
  
  1918
  
  1918 sp
  
  1920
  
  1924
  
  1926
  
  1930
  
  1932
  
  1936
  
  1936 sp
  
  1938
  
  1942
  
  1944
  
  1948
  
  1948 sp
  
  1950
  
  1954
  
  1956
  
  1960
  
  1962
  
  1966
  
  1968
  
  1972
  
  1974
  
  1978
  
  1980
  
  1984
  
  1986
  
  1990
  
  1992
  
  1996
  
  1998
  
  2002
  
  2004
  
  2008
  
  2010
  
  2014
  
  2016
  
  2020
  
  2022
  
  2026
  
  U.S. House of Representatives elections
  
  1812
  
  1814
  
  1816
  
  1818
  
  AL sp
  
  1820
  
  1822
  
  1824
  
  1826
  
  1828
  
  1830
  
  1832
  
  1834
  
  1st sp
  
  3rd sp
  
  1836
  
  1838
  
  1840
  
  3rd sp
  
  1843
  
  1844
  
  4th sp
  
  1847
  
  1849
  
  1850
  
  2nd sp
  
  3rd sp
  
  1851
  
  1853
  
  1855
  
  1857
  
  1859
  
  1868
  
  1870
  
  1872
  
  4th sp
  
  1873
  
  4th sp
  
  1874
  
  1876
  
  1878
  
  5th sp
  
  1880
  
  1882
  
  1884
  
  1886
  
  2nd sp
  
  1887
  
  6th sp
  
  1888
  
  1889
  
  3rd sp
  
  1890
  
  1892
  
  1894
  
  4th sp
  
  1896
  
  5th sp
  
  1898
  
  1899
  
  5th sp
  
  1900
  
  1902
  
  1904
  
  1906
  
  1908
  
  1st sp
  
  1909
  
  2nd sp
  
  1910
  
  2nd sp
  
  1912
  
  1914
  
  1916
  
  1918
  
  1920
  
  1922
  
  1924
  
  2nd sp
  
  1926
  
  1927
  
  7th sp
  
  1928
  
  1929
  
  3rd sp
  
  1930
  
  1931
  
  8th sp
  
  1932
  
  1934
  
  1936
  
  1938
  
  1940
  
  1942
  
  1944
  
  3rd sp
  
  1946
  
  1948
  
  1950
  
  1952
  
  1954
  
  1956
  
  1958
  
  1960
  
  1961
  
  4th sp
  
  1962
  
  1964
  
  4th sp
  
  1965
  
  7th sp
  
  1966
  
  1968
  
  1970
  
  1972
  
  7th sp
  
  1973
  
  2nd sp
  
  1974
  
  1975
  
  6th sp
  
  1976
  
  1977
  
  1st sp
  
  1978
  
  1980
  
  3rd sp
  
  1982
  
  1984
  
  1985
  
  8th sp
  
  1986
  
  1988
  
  4th sp
  
  1990
  
  1992
  
  1994
  
  1996
  
  1998
  
  1999
  
  1st sp
  
  2000
  
  2002
  
  2004
  
  2006
  
  2008
  
  1st sp
  
  6th sp
  
  2010
  
  2012
  
  2013
  
  5th sp
  
  2014
  
  2016
  
  2018
  
  2020
  
  2021
  
  2nd sp
  
  5th sp
  
  2022 :
  
  State government
  
  General elections
  
  2007
  
  2010
  
  2011
  
  2015
  
  2019
  
  2020
  
  2023
  
  Gubernatorial elections
  
  1812
  
  1816
  
  1820
  
  1824
  
  1828
  
  1830 sp
  
  1834
  
  1838
  
  1842
  
  1846
  
  1849
  
  1852
  
  1855
  
  1859
  
  1863 (C)
  
  1864 (U)
  
  1865
  
  1868
  
  1872
  
  1876
  
  1879
  
  1884
  
  1888
  
  1892
  
  1896
  
  1900
  
  1904
  
  1908
  
  1912
  
  1916
  
  1920
  
  1924
  
  1928
  
  1932
  
  1936
  
  1940
  
  1944
  
  1948
  
  1952
  
  1956
  
  1960
  
  1964
  
  1968
  
  1972
  
  1975
  
  1979
  
  1983
  
  1987
  
  1991
  
  1995
  
  1999
  
  2003
  
  2007
  
  2011
  
  2015
  
  2019
  
  2023
  
  Lieutenant gubernatorial elections
  
  2011
  
  2015
  
  2019
  
  2023
  
  House of Representatives elections
  
  2023
  
  State Senate elections
  
  2019
  
  2023
  
  Attorney General elections
  
  2011
  
  2015
  
  2019
  
  2023
  
  Treasurer elections
  
  2017 sp :
  
  Ballot measures
  
  2004
  
  Amendment 1 :
  
  Baton Rouge
  
  Mayoral elections
  
  1996
  
  2000
  
  2004
  
  2008
  
  2012
  
  2016
  
  2020 :
  
  New Orleans
  
  Mayoral elections
  
  1866
  
  1930
  
  1934
  
  1946
  
  1950
  
  1958
  
  1962
  
  1965
  
  1969
  
  1973
  
  1977
  
  1982
  
  1986
  
  1990
  
  1994
  
  1998
  
  2002
  
  2006
  
  2010
  
  2014
  
  2017
  
  2021
  
  City Council elections
  
  2006
  
  2010 :
  
  Shreveport
  
  Mayoral elections
  
  1990
  
  1994
  
  1998
  
  2002
  
  2006
  
  2010
  
  2014
  
  2018
  
  2022 :
  
  Government :
  
  vte :
  
  Voters in Louisiana's 1st congressional district voting in a special election on May 3, 2008, elected Steve Scalise as a new member of the United States House of Representatives, replacing Representative Bobby Jindal who resigned on January 14, 2008, to become Governor of Louisiana.
  
  This election and Louisiana's 6th congressional district special election were the first Louisiana congressional elections not based on Louisiana's jungle primary since the 1970s.
  
  ## Democratic primary
  
  ### Candidates
  
  * Gilda Reed, psychologist and professor
  * Vinny Mendoza, United States Air Force veteran, unsuccessful Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 2007
  
  ### Results
  
  Democratic primary results :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Democratic | Gilda Reed | 11,727 | 69.75 |
  | | Democratic | M. V. "Vinny" Mendoza | 5,086 | 30.25 |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,813 | 100.00 |
  
  ## Republican primary
  
  ### Candidates
  
  * Steve Scalise, Louisiana State Senator and former Louisiana State Representative
  * Tim Burns, Louisiana State Representative
  * Ben Morris, Mayor of Slidell
  * David Simpson, business owner and attorney
  
  ### Results
  
  Republican primary results :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Republican | Steve Scalise | 16,799 | 48.34 |
  | | Republican | Tim Burns | 9,631 | 27.72 |
  | | Republican | Ben Morris | 7,388 | 21.26 |
  | | Republican | David Simpson | 932 | 2.68 |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 34,750 | 100.00 |
  
  Republican primary runoff results :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Republican | Steve Scalise | 19,338 | 58.08 |
  | | Republican | Tim Burns | 13,958 | 41.92 |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 33,296 | 100.00 |
  
  ## Independent candidates
  
  * Anthony "Tony G" Gentile, oil refinery supervisor, unsuccessful independent gubernatorial candidate in 2007
  * R. A. "Skip" Galan
  
  ## General election
  
  ### Results
  
  Louisiana's 1st congressional district special election, 2008 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Republican | Steve Scalise | 33,867 | 75.13 |
  | | Democratic | Gilda Reed | 10,142 | 22.50 |
  | | Independent | R. A. Galan | 786 | 1.74 |
  | | Independent | Anthony Gentile | 280 | 0.62 |
  | Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 45,075 | 100.00 |
  | | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
  