NEW ORLEANS — The elections on Saturday will have a major impact on the state level: All 39 seats in the State Senate and all 105 seats in the State House are up for election.
The races aren't getting much attention, but could have ripple effects on a national level.
The Louisiana governor's race is getting attention from the White House, but if you don't know who is running to become your state representative or state senator, don't feel too bad.
The volume around the gubernatorial election may be too high for voters to hear anything else.
"They're not getting as many messages from legislative races, but the truth is the legislative races are just as important as the governor's race," said Clancy DuBos, Eyewitness News political analyst.
Due to term limits, 144 legislative seats are up for election. That’s the most since 2015. Already, 52 of those races are basically over because there's no opposition. If those numbers don't mean much to you, DuBos says you should reconsider.
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"Our state lawmakers have enormous influence on day-to-day lives of voters. Think of when they pass abortion laws, when they refuse to raise the minimum wage, when they refuse to pass equal pay for women," said DuBos.
These state races could have larger implications beyond Louisiana. The U.S. Supreme Court will soon review Louisiana's anti-abortion law, which started in the Louisiana state legislature.
"Things like the anti-abortion laws, if you're for them or against them, it doesn't matter. They have national impact because it's now being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court, which could set a precedent nationwide," said DuBos.
Those are high stakes for races which, so far, have had relatively low profiles.
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