U.S. House of Representatives
Elections ;2014 Abraham defeated his
Democratic opponent,
Mayor Jamie Mayo of
Monroe, 134,612 votes (64.2%) to 75,004 (35.8%). He was sworn into office on January 3, 2015. ;2016 In his bid for reelection, Abraham defeated one challenger, fellow Republican Billy Burkette of
Baton Rouge, a former
constable in
East Feliciana Parish and former chairman of the Louisiana Band of
Choctaw Indians. Burkette claimed in his campaign that the
Environmental Protection Agency had issued overly strict regulations that hamper
farming. ;2018 Abraham defeated three challengers in 2018: Billy Burkette, an Independent from Pride, Louisiana; Jessee Carlton Fleenor, a Democrat from Loranger, and Kyle Randol, a Libertarian from Monroe. Abraham polled 149,010 votes (67%) to Fleenor's 67,113 votes (30%). Burkette and Randol received the remaining 3%.
Tenure After his election, Abraham chose
Luke Letlow, his campaign manager, as chief of staff. In June 2017, Abraham co-sponsored the
Civil Rights Uniformity Act of 2017. In August 2017, Abraham endorsed
President Donald Trump's nomination of
Terry Doughty, also of Richland Parish, for a seat on the
United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, based in Monroe. The selection also carried the backing of
U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy and
John Neely Kennedy. In December 2017, Abraham voted for the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. After voting, he said, "This is going to be a great tax bill, and great tax reform not only for Louisiana but for the United States." He said businesses would benefit greatly and be able to "reinvest in their infrastructure, reinvest in their employees", and that wages would increase and job opportunities grow. In 2020, Abraham opted not to run for reelection, and endorsed Letlow in the election to succeed him. Letlow won the election, but died from
COVID-19 complications a few days before he was scheduled to take office. Letlow's widow,
Julia, won the special election to fill the vacancy. •
Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities •
Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces •
Subcommittee on Military Personnel Caucus memberships •
Congressional Western Caucus • Coast Guard Caucus • Historic Preservation Caucus • GOP Doctor's Caucus • Mississippi River Caucus • Congressional National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus • National Guard Youth Challenge Caucus • Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus • Veteran's Caucus •
Veterinary Medicine Caucus •
U.S.-Japan Caucus Gubernatorial campaign On December 6, 2018, Abraham declared his candidacy for
governor of Louisiana in the
2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election. He placed third, behind fellow Republican
Eddie Rispone and
Democratic incumbent
John Bel Edwards, failing to advance to the runoff required under Louisiana law as no candidate received a majority in the primary. == Later career ==