Lauren Jewett is a Metairie, Louisiana educator and Democrat running against Republican Steve Scalise in Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District. She has spent roughly 17 years working in Louisiana public education, primarily as a special-education teacher.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science — University of Rochester.
• Master’s degree in English Literature — Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English.
• She is a National Board Certified special-education teacher.

Teaching career

• Began teaching in 2009 in St. John the Baptist Parish.
• Subsequently worked in public and charter schools in Orleans Parish.
• Most recently, she was a founding staff member at The Leah Chase School.
• She has taught special education from kindergarten through sixth grade and has also worked as a mentor teacher, instructional coach and education-policy advocate.

Union and political involvement
Jewett has been active in organized labor and Democratic politics. She was involved with the United Teachers of New Orleans (AFT Local 527) and served on its executive council from 2013–2022. She has also served on the Jefferson Parish Democratic Executive Committee and the Louisiana Democratic Party Executive Committee.

Previous campaigns
This isn’t her first attempt at elected office. She previously ran for:

• Jefferson Parish School Board, District 6 — 2022
• Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), District 1 — 2023

Community involvement
Outside education and politics, Jewett has served on the New Orleans Track Club board, including as president. She has also volunteered with Louisiana Books 2 Prisoners and participated in community food-security efforts. Her campaign biography says she has been involved with the New Orleans chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America since 2023.

What is driving her congressional campaign?

Her campaign emphasizes several issues:

• Public education and teacher pay
• Lowering costs for families
• Healthcare
• Coastal protection
• Workers’ rights and unions
• Disability rights and inclusion
• Greater government accountability to working families.

Her strongest personal credential is clearly education. She argues that her experience as a classroom teacher gives her practical experience listening to families, identifying problems and finding solutions.

One important point about the race

Jewett is not simply a first-time political activist. She has years of experience in education advocacy, union organizing and Democratic Party organization, but she has never held elected office. That creates an interesting contrast with Scalise, who has been in Congress since 2008 and is seeking his tenth term.

If you’re researching this race for your Louisiana/local directory or political coverage, I can also put together a detailed Jewett vs. Scalise comparison covering their backgrounds, voting records, major issues, campaign funding, endorsements, and the political makeup of LA-01.