House Member

• Rep. Baldone, Damon J. (D)
  District# 53, Houma

Contact Information

• District Office
  Legislative Assistant : Vanessa Abbott
  Email Baldone, Damon J.
  Phone: (985)876-8872
  Fax: (985)872-2319
  Address: 162 New Orleans Boulevard
  Houma, LA 70364
  Map
  Capitol House Switch Band: (225) 342-6945
  Capitol House Fax: (225)342-8336

Profile

• • District #: House District 1
  • Party: Democrat
  • Caucus Membership: Acadiana Delegation
    Democratic Caucus
    Louisiana Rural Caucus
    
  • Occupation: Attorney
  • Education: Vandebilt Catholic High School; B.S., Nicholls State University; J.D., Southern University Law Center
  • Spouse: --
  • Year Elected: 2001
  • Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2008
  • 2007 Election
    Baldone topped Republican sugar cane farmer Wallace Ellender in the 2007 primary with 57 percent of the vote. In recent years, Baldone has made a name for himself as a voice of compromise on the House Ways and Means Committee and, not being term limited until 2011, is eagerly anticipating some leadership position in the lower chamber.

District Profile

• Registered Voters by Parish: Lafourche 1.4%, Terrebonne 98.6%
  Municipalities/Communities Represented: Bayou Cane, Chauvin, Dulac, Houma,
  Montegut
  
  • Louisiana Map
  • District Map
  • Metro Map
  Economic: District 53 is a mix of rural and urban Terrebonne Parish. The southernmost portion of the district is lined with shrimp boats, fishing camps and commercial fishing sheds, while the northern part of the district is home to sugar cane fields and a bustling metropolitan economy. Throughout the last two decades, the district has seen a roller coaster economy, prospering with the oil booms and suffering through the oil busts. But the metro area of Houma has seen resurgence in the last decade with fabricators and oilfield service companies employing thousands of people in east Houma. In fact, the area consistently has some of the lowest unemployment rates in the state. Many commercial fishermen live in the district and most are suffering from the influx of cheap imports and strict federal regulations.
  
  Social: The district’s mostly Cajun and Catholic population are known for their “joie de vivre.” Its rural bayou communities, steeped in tradition and culture, mix easily with the growing metro area of Houma, which has become a retail hub for a three-parish area. It is a very conservative district that is easily motivated on issues like school prayer and abortion.
  
  Political: District 53 consists mainly of working-class conservative individuals who are registered Democrats. The oilfield sector successfully defeated a well-funded organizing effort by international maritime unions. The top concerns of the district are coastal restoration, hurricane protection and evacuation and trade agreements concerning seafood products. Largely, though, it’s a swing district. In his race for Agricultural Commissioner, Democrat Bob Odom did almost as well in the district as Republican Governor Bobby Jindal.

Biography

• • An attorney and small-business owner, Damon Baldone, a Democrat, enjoyed a rapid rise to acclaim his first year in off as the Rural Caucus’ “Outstanding Freshman Legislator.” Not long after being elected to the House, he also mounted an aggressive campaign in the third Congressional District, running fourth in a heavily-packed field that included the incumbents’ own son.
  • Baldone has introduced far-reaching legislation targeting education reform during his tenure and was the lead author of a bill that made it mandatory for high school students to study personal finance before receiving a diploma. Complex financial issues have actually become a hallmark for Baldone, as have bills pertaining to the criminal justice system.
  • Baldone also successfully passed legislation that lengthened the season for the commercial harvest of red fish and strengthened enforcement of the law providing its quotas. He likewise passed legislation allowing commercial fishermen to obtain licenses online. While other area legislators have picked sides in the ever-present commercial versus recreational fishing debate, Baldone has managed to bring all interests to the table on the legislation he pushes.
  • As vice chairman of the House Criminal Justice Committee, Baldone carries quite a bit of the committee’s workload. In the 2010 session, he’ll be sponsoring bills to change who is allowed to witness a state-sanctioned execution on death row and that prohibit out-of-state prisoners from being housed in local jails.

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