Changes

===Unseating Fred Baden===

===Unseating Fred Baden===

In the nonpartisan blanket primary held on April 4, 1998, the seven-term incumbent, Fred Baden, led the four-candidate field with 1,805 votes (44 percent). Republican Deslatte trailed with 1,243 ballots (31 percent). A second Democrat, Barbara B. Gypin, polled 35 votes (1 percent), and a "No Party" candidate, Randall Bryan "Randy" Tannehill, received a critical 977 votes (24 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.staticresults.sos.la.gov/04041998/04041998_40.html|title=Election Results|date=April 4, 1998|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref>

In the nonpartisan blanket primary held on April 4, 1998, the seven-term incumbent, [[Fred Baden]], led the four-candidate field with 1,805 votes (44 percent). Republican Deslatte trailed with 1,243 ballots (31 percent). A second Democrat, Barbara B. Gypin, polled 35 votes (1 percent), and a "No Party" candidate, Randall Bryan "Randy" Tannehill, received a critical 977 votes (24 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.staticresults.sos.la.gov/04041998/04041998_40.html|title=Election Results|date=April 4, 1998|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref>

The Deslatte-Baden campaign was bitterly contested. In the [[general election]] showdown on May 2, Deslatte prevailed with 2,304 votes (53 percent) to Baden's 2,062 (47 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Results|date=May 2, 1998|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref>

The Deslatte-Baden campaign was bitterly contested. In the [[general election]] showdown on May 2, Deslatte prevailed with 2,304 votes (53 percent) to Baden's 2,062 (47 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Results|date=May 2, 1998|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=July 18, 2015}}</ref>