2004 United States Senate election in Louisiana

2004 United States Senate election in Louisiana

← 1998 November 2, 2004 2010 →
 
Candidate David Vitter Chris John John Kennedy
Party Republican Democratic Democratic
Popular vote 943,014 542,150 275,821
Percentage 51.03% 29.34% 14.92%

Parish results
Vitter:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
John:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election

John Breaux
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

David Vitter
Republican

The 2004 United States Senate election in Louisiana was held on November 2, 2004. Incumbent Democratic Senator John Breaux decided to retire after three terms in office. Republican Representative David Vitter won the open seat with more than 50% of the primary vote. He thus avoided a runoff that would have otherwise been held on December 4, became the first Louisiana Republican elected to the U.S. Senate since 1876, and the first ever to be popularly elected. This election was the first time ever that a Republican won a full term to this Senate seat in Louisiana. The third-placed candidate, John Kennedy, later won this same seat as a Republican in 2016 and 2022.