Candidate · November 3, 2026
Gordon Heslop
On the ballot for U.S. House · Louisiana's 4th District
- raised through Oct 14, 2026
- $129K
- cash on hand
- $5,978
- issues with public statements
- 17
§1On the ballot
Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.
| Office | U.S. House · Louisiana's 4th District1, |
|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | Republican1, |
| Status | Challenger |
| How it's decided | Louisiana runs this race as an open primary: every candidate appears on one ballot regardless of party, a candidate who wins a majority is elected, and if no one does, the top two vote-getters meet in a general election on December 12, 2026.3, |
| Also on the ballot |
|
§2Who they are
Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
His campaign website says he is a retired educator who spent most of the last 25 years on the accounting faculty at Northwestern State University of Louisiana and East Texas A&M University (formerly Texas A&M University-Commerce).5 It lists a Doctor of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Laws with Honours, a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Commerce with Honours and a Bachelor of Commerce, and inactive CPA, CMA, CIA and CFM certifications.5 Ballotpedia says he earned graduate degrees from Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi and also attended the University of Auckland and the University of Otago.6
Why they say they're running
His campaign website says his focus is on a stronger middle class, a smaller national debt and continued U.S. leadership of the free world.5
Websites and accounts
- Campaign websiteheslopforcongress.com5,
6
§3What they've said on the issues
Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.
Economy, Jobs and Trade
His campaign website says he is totally opposed to the tariffs imposed by President Trump, that all tariffs on food need to be abolished because they have increased food costs, and that if elected he would work in Congress to abolish them.5
- Lower or remove most tariffs
- Targeted tariffs on some countries or goods
- Broad tariffs on most imports
His campaign website lists increasing the minimum wage among its goals.5
Social Security and Medicare
His campaign website says Social Security must be fixed immediately and proposes removing the current limit on earnings subject to Social Security tax so that all income is taxed for Social Security, as all income is for Medicare.5
- Keep the current cap
- Also tax earnings above a higher level, such as $250,000 or $400,000
- Apply the tax to all earnings
Housing
His campaign website says he has a plan to provide first homes for thousands of people in the 4th District for under $1,000 per month, using a small deposit that is returned and skip-payment months, at no cost to the government.5
Immigration
His campaign website lists banning and defunding sanctuary cities among its goals.5
- Require full cooperation, with penalties for places that limit it
- Let each state, county or city decide
- Cooperate only in cases involving people convicted of serious crimes
- Bar police and jails from helping without a judge's warrant
His campaign website lists ending what it calls chain migration among its goals, saying it may be nice for a family but is a bad immigration option for a country.5
Taxes and Budget
His campaign website lists strict audits of all government programs for fraud and waste among its goals.5
His campaign website says the middle class must not pay a higher tax rate than higher earners, and lists eliminating many of the ways high earners and companies reduce their taxable income among its goals.5
His campaign website says federal government shutdowns should not occur, and proposes a law that approves government funding to continue at existing levels until Congress approves new funding.5
- Keep funding agencies automatically at the prior year's levels when Congress misses a deadline
- Keep funding automatically, but add pressure on lawmakers to finish, such as limits on travel or other business until they do
- Keep current law, under which a funding lapse shuts down much of the government
Education
His campaign website lists no boys in girls sports among its goals.5
- Require teams based on sex at birth
- Let each state decide
- Let schools or sports organizations set rules case by case
- Teams based on gender identity
His campaign website says that where rural health care providers have trouble hiring qualified staff, a new hire's student loans, including interest, should be frozen, with half of the debt written off after 5 years of service and the remainder after 10 years.5
- Narrow or end existing forgiveness programs, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness
- Keep current forgiveness programs, with no new cancellation
- Add targeted relief, such as more forgiveness for public service workers or through income-based repayment
- Broad cancellation of student debt
Elections and Government Reform
His campaign website lists term limits of 12 years, two terms for the Senate and six terms for the House, among its goals.5
- Shorter limits, such as three House terms (six years) and two Senate terms (12 years)
- Longer limits, such as 12 to 18 years in each chamber
- No term limits
Health Care
His campaign website says he is opposed to a national universal government-run health care system and that the Affordable Care Act needs to be abolished, with a return to the private market.5
Abortion and Reproductive Health
His campaign website lists fertility treatment among its health care proposals.5
Agriculture and Rural Life
His campaign website says he has a plan under which farmers' input purchases would be paid by the government and repaid from crop sales with no interest, with any debt still unpaid after two years written off.5
Crime, Policing and Prisons
His campaign website says that if state or local administrations will not, the federal government should establish a national minimum salary of $50,000 per year for all law enforcement officers, increased each year with the consumer price index.5
- Increase police funding, for example to hire more officers
- Keep funding near current levels
- Shift some police funding to mental health, housing or other services
His campaign website says he opposes bail for those charged with cases of significant assault against anyone.5
- Require bail or jail before trial for more charges
- Keep current bail rules
- End or reduce cash bail, with judges deciding release based on risk
§4Money
Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left. Outside groups that spend on their own, without coordinating with the campaign, report that too.
Reported to the Federal Election Commission for the 2025–2026 election cycle, through October 14, 2026.7
| Raised | $128,720 |
|---|---|
| Spent | $124,181 |
| Cash on hand | $5,978 |
| Debts owed by the campaign | $128,037 |