Changes

Polls indicated that Williams would defeat Holloway in the [[general election]] in part because the district was 90 percent historically Democratic. High turnout, particularly in the large black community, was expected to benefit Williams. Holloway, however, pulled an upset. He received 102,276 votes (51.4 percent) to Williams' 96,864 (48.6 percent). He was heavily dependent on his native Rapides and neighboring Avoyelles parishes.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 4, 1986.</ref>

Polls indicated that Williams would defeat Holloway in the [[general election]] in part because the district was 90 percent historically Democratic. High turnout, particularly in the large black community, was expected to benefit Williams. Holloway, however, pulled an upset. He received 102,276 votes (51.4 percent) to Williams' 96,864 (48.6 percent). He was heavily dependent on his native Rapides and neighboring Avoyelles parishes.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 4, 1986.</ref>

Holloway was estimated to have received 73 percent of the ballots of whites and 1 percent of the black vote. Williams would presumably have won if she had received 29 or 30 percent of the white vote, instead of the 27 percent that she obtained. Williams was damaged by reports that while previously living as a [[community organizer]] in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], her estranged black husband, a news reporter, had murdered a white man, a college professor and radio announcer with whom he believed Williams was romantically involved.<ref name=williams>{{cite web|url=http://www.skeptictank.org/files//conspire/faye-wil.htm|title=How the Media Trashed Faye Williams|publisher=skeptictank.org|accessdate=March 11, 2012}}</ref>  Holloway appeared to play into the racialized politics, giving an interview on the eve of the election that discussed Dr. Williams' violent assault and suggested that she was a communist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/31/us/politics-gets-personal-in-louisiana-s-8th-congressional-district.html|title=Politics Gets Personal in Louisiana's 8th District|author=Dudley Clendinen}publisher=''The New York Times]]''|date=October 31, 1986}}</ref>

Holloway was estimated to have received 73 percent of the ballots of whites and 1 percent of the black vote. Williams would presumably have won if she had received 29 or 30 percent of the white vote, instead of the 27 percent that she obtained. Williams was damaged by reports that while previously living as a [[community organizer]] in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], her estranged black husband, a news reporter, had murdered a white man, a college professor and radio announcer with whom he believed Williams was romantically involved.<ref name=williams>{{cite web|url=http://www.skeptictank.org/files//conspire/faye-wil.htm|title=How the Media Trashed Faye Williams|publisher=skeptictank.org|accessdate=March 11, 2012}}</ref>  Holloway appeared to play into the racialized politics, giving an interview on the eve of the election that discussed Dr. Williams' violent assault and suggested that she was a communist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/31/us/politics-gets-personal-in-louisiana-s-8th-congressional-district.html|title=Politics Gets Personal in Louisiana's 8th District|author=Dudley Clendinen|publisher=''[[The New York Times]]''|date=October 31, 1986}}</ref>

In the same election cycle that Holloway was elected to the U.S. Congress, another Republican, Richard Hugh Baker of [[Baton Rouge]], won a House seat to succeed the Republican William Henson Moore, who ran instead unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate against the Democrat [[John Breaux]]. Holloway and Baker would be only the fourth and fifth Republicans to have served in the U.S. House from Louisiana since Reconstruction, following [[David C. Treen]] in 1973, Henson Moore in 1975 and [[Bob Livingston]] in 1977. However, Holloway and Baker were only the second and third Republicans to win an undisputed victory in a contested election. Holloway was also the first Republican to represent a portion of North Louisiana since Reconstruction.

In the same election cycle that Holloway was elected to the U.S. Congress, another Republican, Richard Hugh Baker of [[Baton Rouge]], won a House seat to succeed the Republican William Henson Moore, who ran instead unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate against the Democrat [[John Breaux]]. Holloway and Baker would be only the fourth and fifth Republicans to have served in the U.S. House from Louisiana since Reconstruction, following [[David C. Treen]] in 1973, Henson Moore in 1975 and [[Bob Livingston]] in 1977. However, Holloway and Baker were only the second and third Republicans to win an undisputed victory in a contested election. Holloway was also the first Republican to represent a portion of North Louisiana since Reconstruction.