Does this mean LA is going to the way of VA?!!!1!?1!
LOL not because of this poll. But it wouldn't surprise me if the voting patterns that we saw for JBE in the Bato Rouge and New Orleans suburbs became the norm by the mid 2020's.
I think a lot of people forgot just how many African Americans are just now starting to move back to Louisiana after Katrina. Obviously not enough to push it blue, but maybe enough to get it closer to Mississippi or even Georgia rather than Alabama or Arkansas.
That's a really good point....
What is interesting is that the largest chunk of Katrina refugees went to Texas, and Houston receiving the largest share with 250,000 short-term refugees and 100,000-150,000 longer-term residents.
Coincidence or not, this is when Harris county voted Dem for the first time since 1964.
Link below for detailed study on the Katrina diaspora and neighborhoods in New Orleans that refugees returned to:
http://www.citylab.com/politics/2015/08/10-years-later-theres-still-a-lot-we-dont-know-about-where-katrina-survivors-ended-up/401216/Another article from the Houston Chronicle on the impact of Katrina refugees on the Houstonian social fabric.
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Ten-years-later-Katrina-evacuees-now-part-of-6458412.phpWhat would be an interesting political science exercise would be to look at precinct level returns from neighborhoods in Harris county with the highest number of Katrina refugees between 2006 and 2016 and then model returns of Katrina refugees to precincts in New Orleans Parish to see if there are any statistical correlations that can be derived.
But back to your fundamental point, considering the sheer number of refugees, of whom an estimated 65% have returned back to Louisiana, there's no question that it is having an impact in LA political voting patterns.
