Julia Letlow

Katrina Robertson, right, and Tonnia Jacobs look at a map together to figure out what doors to knock on next while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Paula White steps off a porch after dropping off a flyer while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Tonnia Jacobs, Paula White, Shannon Myles, and Christina Routin, right to left, walk through a neighborhood while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

A Jamie Davis flyer is left tucked in between a doorknob and deadbolt of a resident’s front door in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Tonnia Jacobs leaves a Jamie Davis flyer on a doorknob while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Shannon Myles, left, chats with resident Terry Briggs Sr. while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Paula White hands a Jamies Davis flyer to a resident while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Katrina Robertson, right, and Tonnia Jacobs look at a map together to figure out what doors to knock on next while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Paula White steps off a porch after dropping off a flyer while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Tonnia Jacobs, Paula White, Shannon Myles, and Christina Routin, right to left, walk through a neighborhood while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

A Jamie Davis flyer is left tucked in between a doorknob and deadbolt of a resident’s front door in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Tonnia Jacobs leaves a Jamie Davis flyer on a doorknob while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Shannon Myles, left, chats with resident Terry Briggs Sr. while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Paula White hands a Jamies Davis flyer to a resident while canvassing for Jamie Davis in Baker on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Staff photos by Javier Gallegos

Katrina Robertson was looking for potential Jamie Davis voters Saturday as she canvassed on Chamberlain Street in Baker.

Spotting a man in work clothes in his front yard, Robertson walked up to him and began a pitch for Davis, a farmer from Tensas Parish who is the Democratic candidate in this fall’s U.S. Senate election.

The man identified himself as John Green, said he keeps up with the news and plans to vote for Davis, not U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, the Republican candidate.

“He’s all for Louisiana,” Green told Robertson.

Robertson smiled, handed him a campaign brochure and said, “Make sure you tell all your friends, your family and members of your church.” As she walked away, she noted Green’s support in a campaign app on her cell phone.

If Davis is to overcome tall odds in the Nov. 3 election, people like Robertson will have played a key role. Davis has built an extensive grassroots effort and digital network and is relying on that to overcome Letlow’s huge money advantage in the Senate election.

The campaign has 25 paid organizers throughout the state and 4,000 volunteers who are knocking on doors, making phone calls, sending texts and posting video of Davis on digital media, said Kaitlyn Joshua, statewide field organizer.

Davis and his team are targeting independent voters dismayed with President Donald Trump and Democrats who didn’t vote for the party’s candidate in recent elections.

“I’m going to be your next senator,” Davis tells crowds at every stop.

That’s not how the Letlow campaign sees it.

Letlow is broadcasting two television ads now with more to come given that she has raised so much more money than Davis. Two outside groups have broadcast ads in her support as well. Her campaign is also phone banking and targeting voters with texts and digital media.

Letlow’s campaign notes that Republican candidates received 401,000 votes in the closed May primary when she and state Treasurer John Fleming knocked out U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, and the two advanced to the Republican runoff. The Democratic candidates won 344,000 votes as Davis and Gary Crockett advanced to the runoff.

Letlow and Fleming then combined for 316,000 votes in June when Letlow won the Republican nomination, while Davis and Crockett collected 196,000 votes when Davis won to set up the upcoming election to replace Cassidy.

The Letlow campaign also notes that Republicans steadily gained ground on Democrats in voter registration figures before finally passing them this year and becoming the biggest political party in Louisiana.

“You can’t take anything for granted,” said Letlow campaign manager Parker Carey. “Julia has a clear path to victory, and our focus is on executing that. We know we have to earn every vote.”

The Senate campaign has generated little interest since the June runoff, with Letlow running a low-profile campaign, choosing to avoid mentioning Davis during her campaign appearances and TV ads and refusing his call for a debate.

Neither candidate is spending much time talking about the issues.

Davis recently rolled out a platform of “Louisiana First” policies that includes protecting rural hospitals from closing, opposing the use of eminent domain to seize property for private carbon capture and sequestration projects and restoring SNAP benefits for the poor that were eliminated in the One Big Beautiful Bill passed by Trump and Congress last year with Letlow’s backing.

Letlow’s web page says, “Julia will work with President Trump to keep the border secure, rebuild American energy dominance, protect our elections, cut taxes for working families, restore law and order, defend conservative values, and put Louisiana and America first.”

Both campaigns are gearing up for the early voting period, which lasts for a week beginning Tuesday and ending Oct. 27.

Republicans and Democrats alike see Davis running more strongly than recent Democratic Senate candidates, who haven’t won more than 40% of the vote since 2014 when then-U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu lost her reelection campaign with 44%.

But national prognosticators continue to forecast a Letlow victory, with the Washington, D.C.-based Cook Political Report slotting Louisiana as "Solid R.”

National Democrats are not directing money to Davis’ campaign, seeing better chances elsewhere to knock off Republicans.

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, held a small fund-raiser for Davis in New Orleans two weeks ago, and U.S. Sen. Lisa Rochester, a Democrat from Delaware, is coming to Louisiana to campaign with Davis next week, according to his campaign.

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno is hosting a fundraiser for him Tuesday.

Davis’ campaign has just made its first TV buy for an ad that is about to begin airing, said Joshua, his field organizer.

On Monday, Davis appeared on the talk radio programs of two conservative hosts in Lafayette, Moon Griffon and Joe Cunningham, as he tries to appeal to Cassidy and Fleming supporters who are not sold on Letlow.

On Griffon’s show, Davis talked about his love for bass fishing – “that’s my favorite,” chimed in Griffon – and said Trump’s tariffs have hurt Louisiana farmers by raising the cost of their goods.

On Cunningham’s show, Davis described himself as “just a common guy with strong values who believes that a man should get out and go to work. If you put in the work, you shall reap the harvest.”

Afterward, Cunningham said Davis “comes across as very genuine.”

Letlow has yet to appear on either host’s program during this election cycle.

Letlow has been en