By james art There’s a new congressional district in Louisiana that could help shape the balance of power in Washington this year. The state created the new 6th Congressional District after being ordered to add a second majority black district to the electoral map.
The top three candidates are Senators Elbert Guillory and Cleo Fields; and Quinten Anderson. They have a few things in common: They are all black men and each have law degrees.
The newly drawn 6th Congressional District stretches from Caddo to East Baton Rouge Parish and includes parts of parishes in between. And although the district includes both urban and rural areas, candidates say a common concern they hear from voters is crime.
Guillory is the only Republican in the race. He is from Opelousas and describes himself as a good old conservative country boy. He said crime was a problem that could no longer be ignored.
“It’s something we have to deal with very quickly. Our streets and communities are simply not safe anymore,” Guillory said.
And while Guillory didn’t offer any specifics on how to tackle crime, the two top Democrats in the race said poor education and a lack of opportunity have a direct link to crime.
Here’s what you need to know before heading to the polls.
Anderson, the youngest candidate in the race, is from Baton Rouge. He said voters understand that solving the problem goes beyond hiring more police officers and increasing criminal convictions.
“They recognize, especially when it comes to young people, that this is an opportunity. So what they want to see investment in is to come up with ways to divert young people from that taint,” Anderson said.
The other Democrat, Fields, has actually served in Congress before. He represented the state’s Fourth Congressional District for two terms in the 1990s. He’s also from Baton Rouge and said he would advocate for every child to attend Head Start before kindergarten
“And then we have fewer kids committing crimes. I believe in that. I believe there is a complete connection between education and incarceration. Empower these kids to be productive citizens in life,” Fields said.
The ages of three candidates ranged from 30 to 80 years. And their diverse backgrounds influenced their decision to run for office.
Guillory, who is 80, has served in both houses of the state legislature. He said being arrested at age 15 in a public library was a turning point in his life.
“Because black people couldn’t go to that library. This arrest started me to seek justice from that day till today. I fought for justice and equality to make my country even better,” Guillory said.
Guillory said he chose to become a Republican because he now identifies with their conservative values.
Fields, a Democrat, wants to expand access to Head Start. He is the seventh of 10 children. When his father died, it left his mother struggling to raise him and his siblings. He says this is what inspired him to enter politics. He ran for office for the first time at the age of 24.
The East Baton Rouge mayoral race took a hostile turn this week when incumbent Sharon Weston Broome’s campaign released an attack ad against challenger Ted James. The radio ad, also sent via text message to voters across the parish on Wednesday, features two edited recordings of James appearing to be caught on a hot microphone.
“I tried to make a better life for people. I tried to improve the education system in our state by passing a bill that made kindergarten mandatory. I believe we need to invest in early childhood education because I think it’s the future,” Fields said.
Anderson, the other Democrat, is 36. He owns a small graphic design company and serves as the communications director for Together Baton Rouge. Anderson also chairs The Justice Alliance, a Baton Rouge-based social justice nonprofit.
He said working on President Barack Obama’s campaign in college inspired him to run for office. He said the new district could be challenging as it covers both urban and rural areas, but he was learning a lot from the farmers during the campaign.
“Listening to people for whom this is their life, this is how they grew up. Their whole culture is centered around it. I think the biggest challenge is just being able to listen, but that’s also a skill I think I use at the table,” Anderson said.
Fields — the current state senator who previously served in Congress — leads in the polls. He has the most recognition in the race. He probably could have won the race without a runoff. Guillory is next in the polls, followed by Anderson.
The 6th Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Garrett Graves. It was redrawn in favor of black voters because one-third of the state’s population is black. Graves chose not to seek re-election.
This will be the first election in which the state will have a second majority – Black district. District lines are being contested in court, and litigation will continue after the election.
You can listen to the full interviews and learn more about the candidates in the links below.
Meet Quentin | Quentin Anthony Anderson for Congress
Meet Cleo | Cleo for Congress
HOME | Elbert Guillory