U.S. House, Louisiana 4th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Louisiana's 4th Congressional District?
Mike Johnson has the strongest record in Louisiana's 4th Congressional District. Mike Johnson scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Mike Johnson's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Conrad Cable (6 of 15 criteria), Matt Gromlich (6 of 15 criteria), Gordon Heslop (5 of 15 criteria) and Mike Nichols (4 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Conrad Cable
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Democratic
Matt Gromlich
On the ballot as "Matt" Gromlich
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 6 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Gordon Heslop
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Mike Johnson
On the ballot as "Mike" Johnson
60 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 44
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 50
Republican
Mike Nichols
On the ballot as "Mike" Nichols
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 4 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Conrad Cable
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Matt Gromlich
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Gordon Heslop
- On the record2026
Ran in three congressional primaries in 2026: Texas's 32nd District (March 3), Missouri's 8th District (Aug. 4) and Louisiana's 4th District (Nov. 3).
Mike Johnson
- On the record2024-04-20
As Speaker, voted Yea on and brought to the floor the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, which passed with House Republicans opposed 101 to 112.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 151, 2024
- On the record2024-05-08
A motion to vacate the speakership filed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was defeated 359 to 43 on May 8, 2024.
- On the record2021-01-06 to 2021-01-07
Voted Yea on the House objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021; both failed.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
- On the record2020-12
Led the amicus brief of 126 House Republicans supporting Texas's suit to overturn certified results in Pennsylvania and three other states.
Source: Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 House members
- Credit2022-12-27
Sponsored H.R. 6427, the Red River National Wildlife Refuge Boundary Modification Act, signed into law Dec. 27, 2022.
Mike Nichols
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Conrad Cable. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 18, 2026, and House candidate disclosures were filed in 2025 and 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Matt Gromlich. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 18, 2026, and a House candidate disclosure was filed in 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Gordon Heslop. No public record found.
Mike Johnson. Annual financial disclosures are on file with the House Clerk and no periodic transaction reports are listed for 2019 to 2026. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Committee on Ethics site search for Mike Johnson, FEC administrative fines search
Mike Nichols. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 19, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Conrad Cable. No public record found.
Matt Gromlich. No public record found.
Gordon Heslop. A Republican for 44 years who states public opposition to the sitting Republican president's tariff, deficit and foreign policies.
Mike Johnson. No public record found.
Mike Nichols. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Conrad Cable. No public record found.
Matt Gromlich. No public record found.
Gordon Heslop. No public record found.
Mike Johnson. His House site reports 102 town halls held. No 2026 debate or forum record found.
Source: House office site
Mike Nichols. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Conrad Cable. No public record found.
Matt Gromlich. No public record found.
Gordon Heslop. No public record found.
Mike Johnson. Constitutional lawyer for nearly 20 years, state legislator from 2015 to 2017, in Congress since 2017 and Speaker since October 2023. No censure, reprimand or ethics finding found.
Sources: House office site, About, House Committee on Ethics site search for Mike Johnson
Mike Nichols. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Conrad Cable. No public record found.
Matt Gromlich. No public record found.
Gordon Heslop. No public record found.
Mike Johnson. Voted Yea on the House objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021, and was the lead House signer of the members' amicus brief in Texas v. Pennsylvania in December 2020.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021, Texas v. Pennsylvania, amicus brief of 126 House members
Mike Nichols. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Conrad Cable. Runs a vegetable farm with his brother in Marion and is a small business owner; ULM graduate (2017). Has not held public office.
Matt Gromlich. College professor and educator in Shreveport with a Ph.D. from the University of Nevada. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Matthew Gromlich
Gordon Heslop. Taught accounting at the university level for more than 30 years, most recently at Northwestern State University of Louisiana and East Texas A&M University. Has not held public office.
Mike Johnson. In the U.S. House since January 2017, seeking a sixth term; Speaker of the House since October 2023; previously a state representative.
Mike Nichols. Retired land management and water resources specialist with more than 35 years as a biologist. Has not held public office.
Source: WRKF, Aug. 12, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Conrad Cable. His 2026 survey answers support a universal public health care system and address other issues in general terms.
Matt Gromlich. His 2026 survey answers propose expanded tax credits, caps on insurance rate increases and federal housing investment, in general terms.
Gordon Heslop. His 2026 survey answers propose ending tariffs and some federal health care support, stated in general terms.
Mike Johnson. Speaker of the House since Oct. 25, 2023, re-elected Jan. 3, 2025; earlier chaired the Republican Study Committee (E5).
Sources: Ballotpedia, Mike Johnson (Louisiana), House office site, About
Mike Nichols. No public record found.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Conrad Cable. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026.
Source: Ballotpedia, Conrad Cable
Matt Gromlich. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026 and submitted a video statement.
Source: Ballotpedia, Matthew Gromlich
Gordon Heslop. Completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026.
Source: Ballotpedia, Gordon Heslop
Mike Johnson. Offers an email newsletter, issue pages and town halls through his House office. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: House office site, Ballotpedia, Mike Johnson (Louisiana)
Mike Nichols. No public record found.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Conrad Cable. Grew up in Union Parish and has lived in Louisiana his whole life; farms in Marion.
Matt Gromlich. Lives in Greenwood, per the qualifying list, and teaches in Shreveport.
Source: WRKF, Aug. 12, 2026
Gordon Heslop. Listed as living in Natchitoches on the qualifying list; in 2026 he also ran in congressional primaries in Texas's 32nd and Missouri's 8th districts.
Mike Johnson. Lives in Bossier City and represented the area in the Louisiana Legislature from 2015 to 2017.
Sources: WRKF, Aug. 12, 2026, House office site, About
Mike Nichols. Lives in Pitkin, per the qualifying list.
Source: WRKF, Aug. 12, 2026
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Conrad Cable. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 18, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Source: FEC candidate page
Matt Gromlich. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 18, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Source: FEC candidate page
Gordon Heslop. No public record found.
Mike Johnson. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 18, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Source: FEC candidate page
Mike Nichols. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 19, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Source: FEC candidate page
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Conrad Cable. No public record found.
Matt Gromlich. No public record found.
Gordon Heslop. No public record found.
Mike Johnson. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.069 in the 118th Congress, his first as Speaker, below a benchmark of 1.469 (exceeds in the 117th). Raised to 2 under E14: his Red River National Wildlife Refuge Boundary Modification Act was signed Dec. 27, 2022.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, Mike Johnson, GovTrack, H.R. 6427 (117th Congress)
Mike Nichols. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Conrad Cable. No public record found.
Matt Gromlich. No public record found.
Gordon Heslop. No public record found.
Mike Johnson. Missed 159 of 4,568 roll call votes, 3.5 percent, from January 2017 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Mike Nichols. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Conrad Cable. No public record found.
Matt Gromlich. No public record found.
Gordon Heslop. No public record found.
Mike Johnson. Runs district offices in Bossier City, Leesville, DeRidder and Ruston and publishes casework totals: 11,940 completed case files and about $24.1 million in individual benefits returned.
Sources: House office site, House office site, About
Mike Nichols. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Conrad Cable. No public record found.
Matt Gromlich. No public record found.
Gordon Heslop. No public record found.
Mike Johnson. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.93348 for 2023 (118th Congress), ranked 423 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Mike Nichols. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Conrad Cable. No public record found.
Matt Gromlich. No public record found.
Gordon Heslop. No public record found.
Mike Johnson. No public record found.
Mike Nichols. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Louisiana's 4th Congressional District?
Mike Johnson has the strongest record in Louisiana's 4th Congressional District. Mike Johnson scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 6, 2026. Mike Johnson's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Conrad Cable (6 of 15 criteria), Matt Gromlich (6 of 15 criteria), Gordon Heslop (5 of 15 criteria) and Mike Nichols (4 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Louisiana's 4th Congressional District in 2026?
Conrad Cable (Democratic), Matt Gromlich (Democratic), Gordon Heslop (Republican), Mike Johnson (Republican, incumbent), Mike Nichols (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Conrad Cable a good candidate for Congress?
Conrad Cable has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Matt Gromlich a good candidate for Congress?
Matt Gromlich has public evidence on 6 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Gordon Heslop a good candidate for Congress?
Gordon Heslop has public evidence on 5 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Mike Johnson a good candidate for Congress?
Mike Johnson scores 60 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 44 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Mike Nichols a good candidate for Congress?
Mike Nichols has public evidence on 4 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Louisiana race scored, and the Louisiana 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.