BATON ROUGE - The number of lawmakers who have won re-election without opposition has edged up by two.

The Louisiana House says challengers who signed up to run against Hammond Rep. Chris Broadwater and Covington Rep. Paul Hollis have withdrawn from the Oct. 24 ballot. With no race to run, both Republicans will return to new four-year terms in January. 

That boosts the number of House members who drew no opponents to 51 out of 105, 49 percent of the chamber. Twenty of 39 state senators also were elected after they were unopposed in the three-day candidate registration period that ended last week. 

One unopposed House candidate who will take office in January has never served in the Legislature.