The Ballot Brief
2026 U.S. House

Louisiana's 5th Congressional District — 2026 Candidates

U.S. House · LA-5
Primary: Saturday, May 16, 2026 General: Tuesday, November 3, 2026

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2026 candidates we're tracking in LA-5

Stewart Cathey Jr.

Republican

Top priorities

  • Believes a strong education system is the foundation of a prosperous community
  • Chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development and focuses on policy affecting Louisiana's rural communities
  • Wants to bring people together to work through challenges and government bureaucracy to get things done

Per the campaign site.

About Stewart Cathey Jr.

Cathey is a Louisiana State Senator representing District 33, elected in 2019, per the campaign site. He is a U.S. Army veteran and Army engineer who deployed multiple times, oversaw about $250 million in infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, and took part in Hurricane Katrina cleanup with the Army Corps of Engineers, per the campaign site. He is a small business owner in management consulting and a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, per the campaign site.

Misti Cordell

Republican

Top priorities

  • Public safety
  • Lower costs for families
  • Expand education and healthcare access in rural communities

Per the campaign site.

About Misti Cordell

Misti Cordell is a business owner who has chaired the Louisiana Board of Regents and served in Gov. Jeff Landry's administration, running as a Republican candidate for the open Louisiana 5th Congressional District, per her campaign site.

Oscar "Omar" Dantzler

Republican

Oscar "Omar" Dantzler is a retired school bus driver, per an Aug. 12, 2026 WWNO/LPB candidate roundup, and previously ran for the same congressional seat as a Democratic candidate, according to a Vote USA candidate profile. No campaign website was found as of September 10, 2026; the Secretary of State's candidate list is the only verifiable source for Oscar "Omar" Dantzler.

Michael Echols

Michael Echols

Republican

Top priorities

  • Increase hospital transparency and protect rural healthcare access
  • Reduce regulatory burdens on entrepreneurs and small businesses
  • Government accountability

Per the campaign site.

About Michael Echols

Michael Echols is a Louisiana state representative (District 14) and House Majority Leader, a licensed contractor and commercial real-estate developer, running as a Republican candidate for the open Louisiana 5th Congressional District, per his campaign site.

"Gabe" Firment

Republican

Top priorities

  • Secure the border
  • Restore Louisiana's energy production
  • Protect agriculture and the timber industry

Per the campaign site.

About "Gabe" Firment

"Gabe" Firment is a Louisiana state representative who chairs the House Insurance Committee and is a small-business owner, running as a Republican candidate for the open Louisiana 5th Congressional District, per his campaign site.

Austin Magee

Republican

Top priorities

  • Protect individual liberties from government overreach

Per the campaign site.

About Austin Magee

Magee is a small business owner of Pittman Industrial, a welding and mechanical company operating throughout Louisiana, per the campaign site. He has lived and worked in the district his entire life, including attending high school and college there, per the campaign site.

Dan McKay

Democrat

Dan McKay is a Vietnam veteran and attorney running as the Democratic candidate for the open Louisiana 5th Congressional District, per his campaign site.

Patricia "Pat" Moore

Democrat

Top priorities

  • Helping working families get ahead
  • Keeping our communities strong
  • Creating opportunity here at home

Per the campaign site.

About Patricia "Pat" Moore

Moore has served as State Representative for Louisiana House District 17 since 2019 and is a member of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus and Women's Caucus, per the campaign site. Moore serves on legislative committees for public works, disaster recovery and justice, and lives in Monroe, per the campaign site.

Antonio Wilson

Democrat

Top priorities

  • Connect local workers and small businesses with new investment to create long term jobs
  • Publish a public dashboard tracking infrastructure funding and construction progress
  • Improve infrastructure, healthcare access, and broadband expansion in rural areas

Per the campaign site.

About Antonio Wilson

Wilson is a licensed general contractor and business owner who has spent decades managing construction projects, budgets, and payroll, per the campaign site.

About this race

Louisiana's 5th Congressional District elects one member of the U.S. House of Representatives to a two-year term. Every House seat in the country is on the ballot in 2026. The Louisiana primary is Saturday, May 16, 2026 (runoff Saturday, June 27, 2026 if needed), and the general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Louisiana primary details →  ·  Louisiana voter guide →