Lori Callais
Lori Callais (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Louisiana House of Representatives to represent District 71. She lost in the general election on November 16, 2019.
Callais completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Callais obtained her bachelor's degree in English and journalism from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1981. Her professional experience includes working as a high school English teacher from 1981 to 2000, serving as president of the Livingston Parish Federation of Teachers and Support Personnel between 2002 and 2004, and working as an adult education instructor between 2006 and 2016. Callais has served as president of the Denham Springs Pilot Club.[1] She is also affiliated with the Louisiana Retired Teachers Association, the Louisiana Federation of Democratic Women, and the Democratic State Central Committee.[2]
Elections
2019
See also: Louisiana House of Representatives elections, 2019
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
General election
General election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 71
Buddy Mincey Jr. defeated Lori Callais in the general election for Louisiana House of Representatives District 71 on November 16, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Buddy Mincey Jr. (R) | 76.7 | 9,559 | |
 | Lori Callais (D)  | 23.3 | 2,903 | |
| Total votes: 12,462 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 71
Buddy Mincey Jr. and Lori Callais defeated Jonathan Davis, Ivy Graham, and Robert Poole in the primary for Louisiana House of Representatives District 71 on October 12, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Buddy Mincey Jr. (R) | 45.5 | 5,230 | |
| ✔ | | Lori Callais (D) | 15.1 | 1,736 |
| Jonathan Davis (R) | 14.8 | 1,705 | ||
| Ivy Graham (R) | 12.6 | 1,448 | ||
| Robert Poole (R) | 12.0 | 1,381 | ||
| Total votes: 11,500 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Lori Callais completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Callais' responses.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I am passionate about providing our children with the best education that they can have. We are losing our quality teachers because we are not paying them the wages that they deserve, and it is imperative that we address this. We must also make sure that our children leave school either ready to enter and succeed at college or with a skill or trade that allows them to enter the workforce upon graduation. Our children are our greatest resource and until Louisiana decides to invest in that resource, and use common sense ideas and solutions, we will not thrive as a state.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
An elected official should be someone who is open and willing to communicate with their constituents. They must also be willing to work with and listen to everyone, not just the few.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I am honest, hardworking, and dependable. I have the ability to really listen to, talk with. and get along with anyone. . I look for common ground with anyone I meet or work with and that is what is needed in the legislature. I also know that to be successful, a person must realize that they do not know everything and be willing to research, ask questions, and get informed about any issues that they are going to address, and that is what I intend to do, stay informed.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
The core responsibilities of an elected official is to listen to their constituents and be their voice. The should consider how the decisions they make will affect their community and act in the community's best interests. They must also communicate and inform their constituents about what is going on in their districts.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
The first great historical event I remember was the when Neal Armstrong stepped on the moon. I was 9 years old at the time.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
My first job was babysitting children around the neighborhood. I did that all through high school until I started working three part time jobs in college.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison
Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?
No, if everyone had to have experience, then no one could participate in our legislative process. We need new ideas and different ways to look at problems, and people with a broad range of experiences bring that to our legislature.
What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?
The greatest challenges I believe our state will face in the next decade is providing funding to ensure a quality education for our children and addressing the impact of climate change especially as it pertains to increased flooding events and our coastal land loss.
What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?
The ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature would be one of mutual respect and cooperation. When an adversarial relationship exists between the two, the people of our state suffer because nothing gets done.
Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.
It is extremely beneficial to build relationships with other legislators regardless of party. The people elect their legislators to get things done and to do that our lawmakers must cooperate and compromise. Serving the people means serving the people, not special interests groups or parties.
If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
I would be interested in serving on the Education Committee and the Health and Welfare committee.
Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
A past legislator that admire is Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
As a lifelong educator, Lori knows that making sure our teachers are paid and treated like professionals is key if we are to provide a top notch education for our children. In addition to education, another important issue that must be addressed is infrastructure, Louisiana must have good roads, safe bridges, and clean water which are vital to our future if we are to attract and keep good paying jobs. We must also listen to the concerns and needs of our small businesses which are the heart of the Louisiana economy. To do this, revenue issues and fiscal security must also be tackled if we are going to keep and position our state as a great place to do business. Lori is willing to work hard, questioning the “way it’s always been done” attitude that has plagued our state for years. She is ready to be a full-time state representative for District 71 and to ask questions, find solutions, and endeavor to help our state go from the bottom of every national list and rise to the top. We have amazing people, fantastic food, a rich heritage, and a wonderful way of life in Louisiana. Lori is ready to represent District 71, work towards a brighter future for our children, celebrate our unique culture, and ensure that we have the best educated people working in the best jobs in the best place to live, Louisiana. [3] |
” |
| —Lori Callais[1] | ||
See also
2019 Elections
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook page
- Campaign Twitter page
- Campaign Instagram page
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on June 26, 2019
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on October 2, 2019
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
