The Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee stayed up late last night, finally delivering a vote to move a congressional map to the Senate floor around 4:30 in the morning. That map is a little peculiar, and frankly it gave us pause to think about ancient Rome.

Specifically, how in the latter part of the Roman empire the Colosseum was the scene of some very theatrical spectacles, the most prominent of which was the gladiatorial combat bloodbaths the emperors would occasionally put on.

This is a quite gladiatorial map.

It’s gladiatorial because it’s designed to induce a pretty even fight between Blake Miguez, who was running for the Baton Rouge-based 5th District in the previous map which was thrown out by the Supreme Court, and Garret Graves, who might well decide to run for his old 6th District seat which for the most part returns in this 5-1 map. Rick Edmonds, who was also running in the previous 5th District, likely could make the race for the new 6th District if this map ends up being adopted by the Legislature (which we’re a long way from).

This map also creates a wide open fight between Michael Echols and Misti Cordell in the new 5th District, which looks a lot like the 5th District Louisiana used to have in prior days of 5-1 maps.

And it presents a relatively even fight between Cleo Fields and Troy Carter for the 2nd District. Some of Orleans Parish would go into Steve Scalise’s 1st District, and that would give Fields a fighting chance – if not better than a fighting chance – at beating him.

But in none of those races would you see a truly clear favorite, such that the others would or should decline to run.

Though Fields says he won’t run against Carter. Believe what Cleo Fields says if you want.

Anyway, we just  thought this looks like Landry is trying to generate as much competition as possible – assuming he has anything to do with these maps, which everyone seems to.