Troy Carter (D) and Karen Peterson (D) received the most votes in the special primary election to represent Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House on March 20, 2021. Carter received 36% of the vote and Peterson received 23% of the vote. Carter and Peterson advanced to a general runoff election held on April 24, 2021.
There were 8 Democrats, 4 Republicans, 2 Independents, and one Libertarian running. Leading up to the election, media coverage focused on Troy Carter (D), Karen Peterson (D), and Gary Chambers (D).[3][4][5] Carter represented Louisiana State Senate District 7, and Peterson represented Louisiana State Senate District 5. Chambers is an activist and publisher from Baton Rouge.
EMILY's List and Stacey Abrams (D) endorsed Peterson. Cedric Richmond (D), the district's former representative, endorsed Carter. Marianne Williamson, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, endorsed Chambers.[6] Click here to see more endorsements.
Both Carter and Peterson emphasized their experience and careers as lawmakers. "Throughout my career I’ve remained laser focused on the simple ways to improve people’s day to day lives – like guaranteeing access to COVID-19 vaccine, equality pay for women, criminal justice reform and fighting for a living wage," said Carter. Peterson said "After Katrina hit, I told the truth, held people accountable, and fought to help our families and our businesses rebuild. And that’s what I’ll do in Congress to lead us out of this pandemic."[7] Chambers, who has never run for public office, said district lawmakers have focused too heavily on New Orleans and that people in the district "want a leader that’s concerned about all people, not just a select demographic of the district."
Carter emphasized his relationship with Richmond, who is now an advisor to President Joe Biden. "As a new congressman, I would have the ear of the guy who has the ear of the President of the United States of America,” Carter said. Peterson focused on Abrams' endorsement of her and the need for more women in elected office. “It is time for women to have a seat at the table,” she said. Chambers said he would bring change to the district and that his opponents were career politicians: “We can’t be satisfied with being dead-last and we can’t elect career politicians if we want change to happen."[8]
Harold John (D), J. Christopher Johnson (D), Lloyd Kelly (D), Desiree Ontiveros (D), Jenette Porter (D), Chelsea Ardoin (R), Claston Bernard (R), Greg Lirette (R), Sheldon Vincent Sr. (R), Mindy McConnell (L), Belden Batiste (I), and Brandon Jolicoeur (I) also ran.
Three election forecasters rated Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District Solid Democratic during the 2020 general election. In the November 3, 2020 elections, Cedric Richmond (D) won with 63.9% of the vote. Richmond was first elected in 2011. Since 2000, the seat has been occupied by a Democrat in all years except 2008-2010, when it was occupied by Joseph Cao (R).
The special election filled the vacancy left by Richmond. On November 17, 2020, then President-elect Joe Biden (D) announced that Richmond would join his administration as a senior adviser to the president and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. Neither of these positions require Senate confirmation.[9]
Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% 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.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article. A runoff election was held on April 24, 2021.[10]
Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:
As of February 27, 2026, 17 special elections have been called during the 117th Congress. From the 113th Congress to the 116th Congress, 50 special elections were held. For more data on historical congressional special elections, click here.
Candidates and election results
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
Nonpartisan primary election
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[11]
Troy Carter
Key Messages
The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.
Carter said he has spent nearly three decades in elected office, including time spent outside the legislature as a member of the New Orleans City Council.
Carter said that, as a member of Congress, he would fight for raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, access to the coronavirus vaccine, economic development and student loan forgiveness.
Regarding health care policy, Carter said that he favors a public option allowing people to choose between a government-funded plan and private insurance.
Show sources
Karen Peterson
Party:
Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Louisiana State Senate (Assumed office: 2010)
Louisiana House of Representatives (1999-2010)
Biography: Peterson graduated from Mercy Academy and received a bachelor’s degree in international business and marketing from Howard University in 1991. Peterson then returned to New Orleans and received a J.D. degree from Tulane University Law School.
Key Messages
The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.
Peterson said she would support raising the federal minimum wage to $20 per hour and supports policies she said would make sure women are paid the same as men
Peterson said she wants to end mandatory minimum sentences and end the war on drugs by legalizing marijuana and expunging past convictions. She also said she supports police reform and wants to change deadly force standards.
Peterson said she believes that health care is a basic human right, and supports universal health care in the form of Medicare for All.
Show sources
Gary Chambers
Party:
Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Chambers is a community organizer with a focus on causes like reforming police policies, expanding healthcare access, and promoting minority-owned businesses. He is also the publisher of The Rouge Collection, a black-owned urban media platform in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Key Messages
The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.
Chambers expressed support for the Green New Deal and believes that clean air and green jobs can provide economic stability in the district.
Chambers has said that everyone should have access to quality healthcare and supports Medicare for All.
Chambers highlighted his familiarity with the community and history as an activist to distance himself from what he refers to as "career politicians."
Chambers has said that previous representatives focused too heavily on New Orleans and that he wants to work towards addressing the needs of the entire district.
Show sources
Claston Bernard
Chelsea Ardoin
Greg Lirette
Party:
Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Greg Lirette was born in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. He has served in the United States Army since 2020. Lirette's career experience includes working as a cybersecurity specialist for a large tech firm."
Key Messages
To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.
Education and Technical Training
Police Reform / Justice Reform
Preservation of Constitutional Rights
Show sources
Noteworthy primary endorsements
This section includes noteworthy endorsements issued in the primary, added as we learn about them. Click here to read how we define noteworthy primary endorsements. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
Campaign themes
- See also: Campaign themes
Troy Carter
Campaign website
A video on Carter’s campaign website stated the following:
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- Throughout my career I remain laser focused on the simple ways to improve people's day-to-day lives, like:
- Fighting for a living wage, equal pay for women, criminal justice reform, and making public colleges and universities tuition-free. :*Addressing the alarming rate of mortality among black mothers and infants in Louisiana which I've already started.
- Advocating for LGBTQ rights by putting forward the first employment non-discrimination act.
- Fighting for environmental justice, flood insurance, and added protection for folks hit hard by hurricanes.
- Supporting economic development by investing in small businesses, and something special we did. We passed a bill to make sure women who have had mastectomies due to breast cancer are able to get reconstructive surgery and have it covered by their insurance.
- Because for me, it's never been about the issues that make the biggest headlines. It's about the issues that make the biggest difference in people's lives.
- We're living through very tough times. The pandemic has hit our community hard, but we must hold strong work together and have each other's backs. In congress, I'll have your back and I'll get things done.[44]
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| —Troy Carter's campaign website (2020)[45]
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Karen Peterson
Campaign website
Peterson’s campaign website stated the following:
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- Advocate for Economic Justice
- Karen believes that the government must serve as a safety net for working families. Karen will support an economy that rewards hard work by passing legislation to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, guarantee that women are paid the same as men, and end tax breaks for the big corporations and the wealthiest 1%.
- Support lmpactful Climate Change Legislation
- Climate Change is the crisis of our lifetime. Louisiana has failed to realize that we are abundant in wind and solar resources. In Congress, Karen will fight for federal incentives to expand production of wind and solar industries, which will create thousands of new high-paying green jobs and reduce our carbon footprint.
- Help Realize Sensible Gun Safety Reform
- America needs sensible gun safety reform. Karen pledges to take on the NRA by expanding background checks, eliminating the gun show loophole, implementing a buyback program to get weapons off our streets, ban the sale of assault weapons, and keep weapons out the hands of domestic abusers and stalkers.
- Demand Comprehensive and Immediate COVID-19 Relief
- Karen supports comprehensive relief that will extend unemployment benefits to thousands of Louisianans, direct aid to families and small businesses, and rental relief to families.
- Champion Criminal Justice Reform and Police Reform
- We currently have an unjust justice system. Karen will fight to end mandatory minimum sentences and end the war on drugs by legalizing marijuana and expunging past convictions. Additionally, Karen will champion police reform. She will support legislation that will update the use of deadly force standard by the police from “reasonable” to “necessary.”
- Fighting for Medicare for All
- Karen believes that health care is a basic human right, and the best way to achieve universal health care is to fight for Medicare for All. It would eliminate copays, deductibles, and premiums and will cover medical, dental, vision, hearing, prescription drugs, maternity care, comprehensive mental health services and substance abuse treatment.[44]
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| —Karen Peterson’s campaign website (2020)[46]
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Gary Chambers
Campaign website
Chambers' campaign website stated the following:
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- In 2020, Louisiana ranked 45th in Healthcare. Contributing to this low ranking is the lack of public health funding, the lack of access to care, the high number of uninsured, and the poor overall quality of care.
- Gary believes that Louisianans’ health is the foundation of a better Louisiana.
- The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic illustrated what Black Americans already knew– that the American healthcare system is woefully inadequate. Leaders around the world, on the continent of Africa and in countries such as Japan, quickly adopted public health measures to save thousands, if not millions of lives. Though COVID-19 is a new crisis, the health disparities highlighted by it is nothing new for Black Louisiana.
- Currently, Louisiana ranks 45th out of 50th for healthcare, 50th in healthcare challenges, 47th in clinical care, and 48th in health outcomes. Louisiana has a 36.8% obesity rate, 14% diabetes rate, and ranks 50th amongst all states in healthcare challenges. Driving that number is the health disparities that exist between Black and white Louisianans. We must do better! Black Lives depend upon it, and Gary is committed to addressing these disparities to ensure a healthier Louisiana.
- Notably, health disparities also exist in maternal health. So, where do we go from here? A healthier Louisiana or continue along this chaotic path? To get us from the figurative bottom of the map, health inequalities must be addressed, because when we take care of the least of us, we take care of us all!
- Gary uses the quote, “In God we trust but everybody else must bring data.” Why? Because the data tells us that to address the inequalities in the current healthcare system, a community-based health care model must be adopted.
- Gary is committed to advocating for and passing legislation for the following priorities:
- 1. Medicare for All
- A single-payer healthcare system, also known as Medicare for all.
- 2. Advocating for and voting for a COVID-19 relief bill
- The nation is in the middle of a pandemic and the role of government is to provide for the health, safety and welfare of its people. Gary will advocate for and vote to pass a full COVID-19 relief bill that does the following:
- Issue a one-time direct payment of $2,000 minimum to all eligible persons living in
the United States and in neighboring U.S. territories;
- Some studies suggest that up to 40% of Black businesses have closed permanently since March of 2020. Gary will advocate for and vote to pass legislation to increase funding for the Payroll Protection Program, with an emphasis on Black and minority-owned small businesses.
- Increased funding for research and data collection. Which will include racial and ethnic data related to COVID-19, such as deaths related to the pandemic, and data on what populations are receiving the vaccine.
- 3. Community-based health centers
- Advocating for and finding federal dollars to erect and fund community-based health centers in underserved Louisiana communities. Gary believes that health care must be accessible to all Louisianans. Health care access includes but is not limited to: mental health access and affordable prescription drugs.
- Gary is committed to ensuring not only funding for the centers but also for community-based health initiatives that recognize that:
- Racism in medicine/the healthcare industry is a leading cause of health disparities;
- The initiatives and interventions related to the initiatives must be developed by the racial and ethnic groups/population experiencing the health disparity; and
- The research conducted with the federal funds must be done by or in partnership with community members while providing just compensation for those community members.
- 4. Maternal and infant health
- The maternal and infant health of Black families is a major concern to Gary. Louisiana’s maternal mortality rate for Black women is 72.6 for every 100,000 births. This is unacceptable! Gary will consult with culturally competent experts to advise him on how to best address this health care crisis.
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- According to US News, Louisiana ranks 50th in crime and corrections. Contributing to this low ranking is high incarceration rates for adults, above-average incarceration rates for juveniles, and a high violent crime rate.
- Gary believes that the creation and enforcement of federal standards applicable to all state and local law enforcement agencies are not only critical only for a safer America, but also for a citizenry that respects and trusts their law enforcement professionals. Gary’s beliefs embody the following:
- 1. Demilitarization of the Police
- When analyzing the most notable mass protests in America, the optics include the presence of militarized state and local law enforcement agencies was due to a well-funded military-industrial complex during the Global War on Terror. The United States allotted billions of dollars towards the use of excess military weapons, vehicles, and hardware.
- Unfortunately, this military equipment ended up on our city streets in the hands of local law enforcement, accounting for the DoD 1033 Excess Use Program that was responsible for the phenomenon of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) tanks, high powered rifles, and machine guns being used in botched raids and assaults on unsuspecting and innocent American civilians.
- Military equipment does not belong in the hands of civilians, which includes civilian law enforcement. In order for our police to be loved as local law enforcement, they have to stop showing up in our communities looking like soldiers ready to conquer a foreign enemy. Gary would call for the end of the DoD 1033 Excess Use Program and support a federal ban on the use of military weapons, equipment, and vehicles except for in hostage, terrorist, and mass casualty situations.
- 2. Smart Funding of Law Enforcement
- There have been many calls for the defunding of the police. However, police officers are put into a myriad of situations where public safety and public health may be at risk. Therefore, Gary understands that defunding the police may not be the best solution and instead advocates for a “smart funding” of the police.
- Smart funding is an innovative funding mechanism that uses a formula based upon objective quality-of-life factors. Citizens want the best law enforcement service their tax dollars can buy, however, when unarmed and innocent citizens are killed, tax dollars that could pay for better community services must then pay for lengthy and costly lawsuits against the city and its officers.
- Gary would call for law enforcement agencies to demonstrate their use of training that implements standardized quality-of-life factors into policing in order for them to qualify for federal funding.
- 3. Refunding Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Programs
- Louisiana currently has deficit-based juvenile justice programs. Instead of rehabilitating our children to become productive citizens after making a mistake, we are preparing our children for a life of institutionalization and incarceration. Gary would call for more funding for juvenile delinquency programs that provide holistic support to children in the juvenile justice system and their families.
- 4. Create the Federal Community Public Safety Agency (CPSA) Gary supports the BREATHE ACT put forth by the Electoral Justice Project of the Movement for Black Lives.
- The BREATHE ACT calls for the creation of a Federal Community Public Safety Agency (CPSA) at the Department of Health and Human Services. Gary will advocate for and vote to pass legislation to create that department.
- We must reimagine and create a new criminal “just” system.
- 5. Legalization of Marijuana
- Lastly, we must fully legalize marijuana at the state and federal level. Gary will advocate for and vote to pass legislation that will allow for the tax revenues created from the sale of marijuana to fund reparations programs for Black Americans. No race has been more negatively impacted by America’s “War on Drugs,” therefore it is merely restorative justice to ensure Black Americans see their tax dollars reinvested in their communities.
- Education and Jobs Training Programs
- LOUISIANA ranks 45th in Education and 49th in Opportunity!
- In the famous text, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed author Richard Shaull states:
- “Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into [a broken inequitable] system. . . or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.”
- Gary believes that free and appropriate public education and job skills training are the passport to the future.
- He believes in public education and/or a job skills training system that fully prepares all citizens to solve the issues of their community and allows them to compete in the world. Hence, Gary believes in and will advocate for:
- 1. Free Higher Education and Job Skills Training
- Free Higher Education and Job Skills training at all institutions of higher education and job skills Training facilities for those in need.
- 2. Student Loan Debt Forgiveness
- Gary will advocate for and vote to pass student loan debt forgiveness for those persons with student loan debt.
- 3. Fully Funded Free and Appropriate Public School System
- Gary’s mother is a retired public school teacher and his father a retired public school employee. He believes in the power of a fully-funded public education system. Specifically, Gary will advocate for the COMPLETE autonomous return and funding of Orleans Parish Public School System, using a Community Schools Model. Gary isn’t against the charter system but believes we must follow the data and the research. The data shows us that public education works in white and/or affluent neighborhoods. Why does it not work in Black and/or other oppressed neighborhoods? It can and it must.
- Gary will advocate for a complete overhaul of the Orleans Parish Public School System, an overhaul that renews the community’s faith in the public school system by providing a safe, fully funded, academically rigorous, innovative learning experience with highly-qualified educators.
- 4. Abolish High Stakes Testing
- Gary believes that high stakes testing should be abolished. Teaching for standardized testing isn’t working, and we need our teachers to not feel as if their job is tied to a number. Furthermore, all students do not learn at the same pace, nor is it appropriate to use the same pedagogy on all children. Gary believes we need to establish more time on teaching and less time on testing.
- Teachers should have the ability to differentiate instruction with individual student success in mind rather than teaching to a blueprint based on standardized testing that utilizes a one-size-fits-all instruction model.
- 5. Funding for S.T.E.A.M.
- More funding for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (S.T.E.A.M). Gary believes in S.T.E.M, but he also believes in the Arts. As a trained singer and musician, Gary understands that the arts are a part of a complete society and therefore must be a part of our children’s global education. Thus, he will advocate for and support legislation that ensures the funding of the Arts in America’s public schools.
- 6. Recruit & Retain Black Male Teachers
- Gary doesn’t believe in reinventing the wheel. Bowie State—a Historically Black University—is doing a great job at recruiting, training and retaining Black male teachers. Their program should be considered a national model.
- Gary will advocate for federal funding for the recruitment and subsidizing of Black male teachers in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Gary believes that if we can send—and subsidize—young white teachers to Black neighborhoods to teach our children with tax-funded programs, then we can also fund Black male teachers to do the same. Research indicates that children perform better when the teacher shares that child’s race, ethnicity, culture, and language.
- 7. Fully Funded HBCUs
- More equitable funding for Historical Black Colleges and Universities like The Southern University System, Xavier University, Grambling University, Dillard University and many more. Currently, HBCUs graduates make up 40% of the members of Congress, 12.5% of the CEOs, 40% of the engineers, 50% of the professors at non-HBCUs, 50% of the lawyers, and 80% of the judges throughout the nation. And let’s not forget an HBCU graduate currently holds the title of Vice President of the United States of America. Therefore, it is imperative that we fully fund HBCUs equitably;
- 8. Satellite College Campuses in the River Parishes
- Gary has heard the voice of the people in the River Parishes. A part of Gary’s educational priorities is to advocate for and find federal funding to support the creation of satellite college campuses in the River Parish communities. Gary will work with community colleges and universities in the 2nd Congressional District to provide the constituents of the river parishes affordable trade certifications, associates degrees and other educational opportunities. Gary understands that just as education and training are important, so is access to affordable education and training.
- Martin Luther King Jr. gave two pivotal speeches during his lifetime. “Why I Oppose the Vietnam War” on April 30, 1967, and “The Three Evils” at the Hungry Club Forum in Atlanta on May 10, 1967.
- Those three evils were the evils of racism, poverty and war.
- Dr. King knew that both greed and racism contributed to the endless wars abroad and that if America was to change for the better, her citizens would have to address the disproportionate funding of the military versus other critical needs such as education and healthcare. Currently, the Pentagon budget is $721.5 billion, while the education budget is $66 billion and the Health and Human Services budget is roughly $87.1 billion.
- Gary respects the human rights of every person on this planet and respects the sovereign rights of every nation, large or small.
- Gary understands the responsibility he might assume as a congressperson to decide whether America should engage in war. Gary will not take that responsibility lightly, nor will he fall in line as others have done in the past. He will ensure that all non-military efforts have been taken before he votes for America to engage in war.
- Gary believes in taking care of home first and holds the position that a significant portion of the military budget should be reallocated to domestic and non-military centered departments and policies, such as the H.R. 4864 Global Child Thrive Act of 2020.
- The Global Child Thrive Act of 2020 promotes early childhood development and adds to existing U.S. plans and strategies to improve coordination with foreign governments and international and regional organizations. Resolutions such as these provide aid rather than bombs thus protecting our troops, investing in education, healthcare, and creating healthy relationships with other nations and their citizens.
- Gary is also a proponent of nuclear disarmament and would support legislation that diverts funds away from the United States Nuclear Modernization and Replacement Program.
- The United States currently maintains a nuclear arsenal of about 1,650 strategic nuclear warheads. This number cannot continue to increase. A 2017 Congressional Budget Office report estimates that these nuclear weapons will cost taxpayers $1.2 trillion between fiscal years 2017 and 2046. These funds can be reallocated to programs that support nonmilitary based solutions to our international conflicts.
- According to a report published by the Louisiana Section of American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE), the state of Louisiana received a D+ in infrastructure. The following list includes each area of Louisiana’s infrastructure and the grades assigned to each:
- 1. In the area of Aviation, Louisiana received a C grade;
- 2. Bridges in Louisiana received a D+;
- 3. The Coastal Areas received the grade of D+;
- 4. Louisiana’s Dams received the grade of C+;
- 5. Louisiana’s Drinking Water received a D-;
- 6. The Inland Waterways received a D-;
- 7. Our Levees received a C;
- 8. The roads received a D;
- 9. The solid waste grade was a C+; and
- 10. Our Wastewater received a C-.
- Louisiana ranks 49th in economy and 50th in opportunity. In 2018, the median household income of the 250,000 people in the 2nd Congressional District was $38,131. Of that sample, the largest share of the population made less than $10,000 a year. A report conducted by the American Lung Association also found that several cities in Louisiana have some of the nation’s most widespread air pollution.
- Why are these statistics important?
- On February 7, 2020, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a house resolution that would address communities in America–and Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District’s critical infrastructure and health issues. That resolution is commonly referred to as the Green New Deal. The Green New Deal seeks to abolish systemic injustices,1in the following areas: clean environment, infrastructure and high paying jobs.
- The etiology of the Green New Deal is the New Deal. The New Deal was a collective of programs created via federal legislation that included public works projects, regulations and financial reforms. The New Deal was the single most mechanism by which the American white middle-class was created, while excluding Black communities from using their own tax dollars.
- Gary believes that the Green New Deal provides an opportunity and a blueprint for Louisiana and the 2nd Congressional District to put people in the district back to work and to fix our crumbling infrastructure.
- A. Environmental Justice:
- Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
- The 2nd Congressional District is comprised of the following parishses:
- 1. The Parish of West Baton Rouge;
- 2. The Parish of East Baton Rouge;
- 3. Ascension Parish;
- 4. Assumption Parish;
- 5. Iberville Parish;
- 6. St. James Parish;
- 7. St. John the Baptist Parish;
- 8. St. Charles Parish;
- 9. Jefferson Parish; and
- 10. Orleans Parish
- Included in these parishes is an area known around the world as “Cancer Alley.” Cancer Alley runs along the Mississippi River, which includes parts if not all of the above mentioned cities and parishes. Scholar and activist, Steve Lerner, referred to these types of areas as Sacrifice Zones. Sacrifice Zones are often “fenceline communities” consisting of low-income and/or people of color. They are considered “hot spots” of chemical pollution where residents live immediately adjacent to heavily polluted industries.3 Cancer Alley has more than 140 chemical factories and oil refineries.
- In consideration of this information, the people of the 2nd Congressional District has helped Gary identify the following needs:
- 1. The need to provide full federal funding for the Department of Environmental Quality’s Environmental Justice programs. The petroleum chemical industry’s voice can not be the only voice at the table;
- 2. The need to strengthen Superfund Community Involvement. Community involvement is the process of engaging in dialogue and collaboration with community members. The goal of Superfund Community Involvement is to advocate and strengthen early and meaningful community participation during superfund cleanups;
- 3. The need to increase regulatory fines for the chemical factories and oil refineries, who poison the air, water and land of Louisiana;
- 4. The need to limit the use of eminent domain that displace African-Americans from their homes and communities under the auspice of “public good.” To the citizens of the 2nd District, which includes the residents of Gordon Plaza and others similarly situated, your demands have not fallen on deaf ears. Federal, state and local governments have a racist history of using the Takings Clause (Eminent Domain) to displace African-Americans from their homes and communities under the auspice of “public good.”
- Gary will advocate for and vote on passing legislation to increase funding for the Super Fund. Providing for legislation that makes resources more readily available to citizens whose homes have been devalued and whose health is at risk. Thus, allowing governments to purchase property from affected property owners at a “just” price, and assist with relocating those families to a safe and healthy location.
- B. Infrastructure: Community Development Block Grant Funding (Re-imagined)
- Over the years Community Development Block Grants has garnered a bad reputation as “free money,” because the perception is that it is not fulfilling its mission of eradicating poverty in urban and rural communities. Though some of these claims may have merit, the intent of the grant remains pure: to prevent a major increase in poverty rates, a deprecating built environment, and an unskilled workforce.
- In accordance with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’ Green New Deal resolution–which calls for investment in economic development, green building, transit and education. Gary will call for an immediate re-allocation of community development funding to eliminate the financial vacuum caused by the de-industrialization of rural and urban communities.
- Furthermore, Gary will collaborate with the “new” working class that will be created through implementation of the Green New Deal. According to the Bureau of Transportation, households with an annual income of less than $25,000 are almost nine times as likely to be a zero-vehicle household than households with incomes greater than $25,000. Given these statistics and recent migration patterns, it can be argued that transportation–public or private– is vital to upward mobility for at-risk populations.
- These changes will require not only adequate federal funding–but also a retooled, educated workforce that will utilize public transportation to commute to city centers and to attend school and work. Gary will advocate for, and vote to pass legislation that will reallocate federal transportation spending to ensure equity in funding public transit in the 2nd Congressional District. In addition, the utilization of this funding will help bring U.S. gas emissions to net zero by 2030, through clean, renewable, energy sources.
- Gary will also advocate for the restructuring of legislation that allows for a more flexible local match requirement for transit projects. For nearly four decades, federal funding on transportation has been 80% highway and 20% transit. This algorithm places an undue burden on urban and rural communities, and Gary will seek to undo this disparity.
- Recognizing the Duty of the Federal Government to Create a Green New Deal, H.R 109, 116th Cong. (2019).
- STEVE LERNER & PHIL BROWN, SACRIFICE ZONES: THE FRONT LINES OF TOXIC CHEMICAL EXPOSURE IN THE UNITED STATES (2012).
- Id. at 346.
- Beau Evans, Toxic Sites in Louisiana: 15 of the State’s Most Polluted Places, NOLA.com [44]
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| —Gary Chamber's campaign website (2021)[47]
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Harold John
Campaign website
John's campaign website stated the following:
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- Seniors have said that they have been overlooked in this pandemic and crippled economically by the lack of aid. I will fight for an increase in the monthly benefit for eligible seniors to assist with the living expenses and reassess what the “quality of life” income needs to be for our most precious pieces of life that have served and require the comfort and support. These are some of the most vulnerable members of society, as well as the most disregarded.
- -We must reevaluate their healthcare plans to ensure that coverage meets the consistent needs to support their lifelong journeys. No American should have to decide between life saving medical treatment and food.
- – With the prices taxed on the pharmaceutical companies, medication for seniors need to remain free or at an extremely low cost that is supported by fixed incomes. We can also secure plans and incentives to encourage grocery stores and stores who sell fresh produce to give seniors reductions for healthy food options on their meats, seafoods and produce.
- – I will fight for affordable housing through a bank supported voucher system for all eligible seniors on government supported fixed incomes with preference, this way seniors will be able to cover mortgage costs as well as if they lived in assisted living facilities.
- – At the top of my list is fighting for Universal Basic Income of $1,000 monthly for all those living below the poverty line, which many times includes our seniors.
- Through this pandemic many small businesses are suffering, struggling to exist, or have shut down with an absorbent amount of debt. I will fight to not only identify the scale of a small business, but also target these pillars of the community to give them immediate relief. For those that have closed their doors and their owners have sunk into debt, they need tailored relief assistance. I will fight for a package in as a revival plan for these pandemic depressed businesses.
- – For those small businesses that did make the cut in the rounds of PPP loans or stimulus payments, we must target them as well to give them the financial support that is needed.
- – Many businesses that would be classified as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, in smaller predominantly minority communities would also be a priority for relief aid requiring a full support package to get them back up and operating efficiently.
- – Thinking long term past COVID, the SBA can be used as a continuous arm of check ins for businesses to gauge their long-term needs, along with properly notifying businesses of support opportunities through a community engagement plan, through trainings, and opportunities for partnerships.
- – I will not fight for just another 30-days of paying a small bill in the homes of Americans after they have suffered and fought for survival, I propose a 90-day revitalization plan to get families back on the right track with proper support and methods of debt consolidation and deferment.
- – I will support bills that are drafted with debt forgiveness inclusion due to the pandemic.
- – I will advocate for rental assistance and having a direct-to-principal option for homeowners who have paid mortgages through the pandemic.
- – Healthcare is a right, not a privilege…your health and well being is a need, not a want. I am in favor of Medicare for all. All citizens deserve to have a proper wellness plan, should have access to a primary physician, and not be forced into an emergency room at the time of crisis. Proper healthcare is a preventative measure to ensure the survival of every American citizen.
- – I will fight to ensure that medical treatment is built into a tax break incentive for companies who honor an employee’s job security for certain physician visits, so a citizen does not have to choose between health and employment.
- – I am in favor of reassessing the accountability of officers from police departments. All cases involving an encroachment on civil rights, killings at the hands of officers, acts and mental aptitude of officers, unlawful procedures, protocols and consistent abuse of discretionary power needs to have direct oversight by the Department of Justice. Citizens should then have access to the Department of Justice to form their complaints and request investigations based upon injustices received at the hands of the State, City and Local departments.
- – In lieu of straining a police department’s budget fighting lawsuits, each officer should be required to hold professional liability insurance to ensure repayment based upon a professional misuse or abuse of power. This will also allow departments to track historical occurrences from specific officers.
- – It is my goal to fight for an educational consistency and standard of performance needed in all schools so that no child should be forced by a lottery system requiring them to attend a failing or underperforming charter school.[44]
|
”
|
| —Harold John's campaign website (2021)[48]
|
J. Christopher Johnson
Campaign website
Johnson's campaign website stated the following:
| “
|
- The America people should be invested into with readily accessible recourses as COVID-19 spreads without bias. As the congressman for Louisiana’s 2nd, I will fight for rent relief after the lifting of the national eviction moratorium. I will also fight for a retroactive stimulus package, and advocate for the cancellation of small business loans and have them treated as small business survival grants.
- Rent Relief Post Eviction Moratorium
- Small Business Loan Cancellation
- During COVID-19, Louisiana is ranked 3rd in the nation for risk of one becoming unhoused during COVID-19. No one should fear they one day may not have a place to lay their head. I will fight for universal rent control to prohibit the excessive increase of rent cost. I will also fight that housing become more legislative to aid in programming and development. I will fight for the development OF housing communities, specifically for the unhoused, to develop tools needed to thrive in life.
- Housing Communities for Social and Work Development
- Access to higher education should not be a privilege, but a right. With the job market demanding advanced education, it is right to support individuals wanting to go to college. I support the College for All Act and think public college should be cost free. This will aid in closing the wage gap. I also support student loan debt cancellation.
- Support Bill Already Drafted
- Support Student Debt Cancellation
- LGBT+ Rights and Protections
- It should not take being an openly omnisexual, cis-gender male, to fight for the protections of community. I will fight to ensure protections for trans people as well as housing, employment, and public accommodation protections for the LGBT+ community. I will also advocate with community members for the abolition of Louisiana’s Crimes Against Nature Statue which disproportionately targets trans women of color and the black and brown gay community.
- Housing, Employment, and Public Accommodations Protections
- Advocate for the Abolition of Louisiana’s Crimes Against Nature Statue
- Police being called is reactionary. As a black man in America, I fear my safety and interaction with police officers. Therefore, I am fighting to reallocate police funding to educational and social service programs to serve as a community investment and in turn, cease the over incarceration of citizens. Also, I will fight to stop the excessive prosecution of minors and advocate for appropriate programming.
- Advocate for the reallocation of the police budget to be awarded to social service and educational programs to prevent crime
- Stop the excessive prosecution of minors
- Louisiana’s 2nd is home to #CancerAlley where there are more fossil fuel emissions than what oxygen can compete with. I will fight for a #GreenNewDeal to assist workers with employment and overall health. I will also advocate for an infrastructure package to build Louisiana better and create jobs.
- Eliminate Cancer Alley in Louisiana’s 2nd
- Replace Oil Refinery Jobs with Infrastructure Jobs
- Roe v. Wade has been the law of the land for reproductive rights since 1973 and I cannot understand why some are seeking to repeal it now. Decisions about reproduction should be made by the individual and not regulated by the government. I am pro-choice. I will also advocate for just medical practices to reduce the astronomical mortality rate of black mothers. Furthermore, I will advocate for the funding specifically dedicated to the success of black and brown medical students.
- Advocate for practices that lessen the mortality rate of black mothers during birth
- Advocate for funding dedicated to the success of black and brown medical students[44]
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”
|
| —J. Christopher Johnson's campaign website (2021)[49]
|
Desiree Ontiveros
Campaign website
Ontiveros' campaign website stated the following:
| “
|
- Small Business Recovery, Sustainability, and Growth
- As your Congresswoman I will…
- Prioritize small, local businesses and workers through Main St. recovery legislation.
- Decrease unnecessary burden on small businesses through interest forgiveness on Economic Industry Disaster Loans (EIDL) and tax deferment.
- Increase funding for capital projects.
- Close multinational corporate tax loopholes to relieve the burden from the middle and underclass that have suffered during the mismanagement of the Pandemic.
- Economic Opportunity for All
- As your Congresswoman, I will...
- Advocate for a dedicated Small Business Administration minority loan fund with equitable qualification criteria, removing historical barriers to minority communities like minimum credit scores.
- Ensure equitable distribution of government contracts to minorities who have been historically disenfranchised by tightening up the qualifications of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise.
- Support our region's investment in renewable energy and infrastructure to create meaningful jobs.
- Subsidize regional, low-cost public transportation to increase access to job opportunities, housing, education options, and health services.
- College and Career Pathways
- As your Congresswoman, I will...
- Support equitable access to free community college, technical schools, and apprenticeships.
- Invest in our community by increasing training and career pathways for middle and high school students that lead directly to high paying jobs in local industries.
- Expand Pell Grants to include living expenses such as food, housing, transportation and childcare, and to include those who are incarcerated and undocumented.
- Incentivize innovation at the state level through federal grants to make K-12 student assessments measures equitable.
- Increase access to broadband infrastructure funding and other federal assistance for all with a focus on underserved urban neighborhoods and rural communities.
- Income Inequality and Financial Security
- As your Congresswoman, I will...
- Fight for guaranteed income during the pandemic to prevent individuals and families from amassing large amounts of debt for basic survival.
- Raise the minimum wage to $15 and index for inflation to ensure a livable wage for people.
- Work to eliminate all $1.6 trillion in college debt and reform lending practices for student loans.
- Advocate for overtime pay for salaried workers making under $42,000 a year.
- Fight for Universal Child Care.
- Expand Social Security so that people may retire with dignity.
- Fight for stimulus support for safety net providers who are experiencing higher enrollment due to the pandemic, including unemployment, Medicaid, TANF.
- Healthcare as a Basic Human Right
- As your Congresswoman, I will...
- Make life saving drugs free.
- Support legislation that lowers the cost of prescription drugs.
- Address the opioid crisis and over prescription of addictive medications.
- Provide for gender affirming healthcare to trans youth.
- Fight for Medicare for All.
- Support legislation to protect all women, non-binary peope and intersex people by allowing them the basic dignity and autonomy of making healthcare decisions for themselves.
- As your Congresswoman, I will...
- Author comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation that prevents the instability that arises from relying on executive orders.
- Re-establish Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations protecting transgender people from discrimination by homeless shelters and housing services that receive federal funding.
- Ban “conversion therapy” and intersex mutilation.
- Ensure education protections for LGBTQ+ youth.
- Provide mandatory training to public officials and employees.
- As your Congresswoman, I will...
- Support the Paycheck Fairness Act.
- Vote to repeal the Hyde Amendment.
- Fight to ensure low-income women, women of color, and trans people have access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare that includes education, prevention, treatment, assistance, and support.
- Champion legislation, such as Medicare for All, that ensures everyone can access reproductive and maternity healthcare services, regardless of their income.
- Vote to fully fund programs that protect people's access to reproductive healthcare, including contraception, STI testing, and abortion services.
- As your Congresswoman, I will...
- Fight for investment in Crisis Intervention Teams to prevent escalation and decrease fatalities.
- Expand accessible mental health services for all.
- Support local efforts to prioritize community policing efforts.
- Invest in effective diversity and implicit bias training for police officers and other first responders.
- Build community by creating safe environments for children to play, learn, and socialize.
- Support programs that provide jobs and education to those who are formerly incarcerated.
- Provide federal funding for community programs and centers that engage children and provide them opportunities to learn and explore outside of school.
- As your Congresswoman, I will...
- Support legislation to decriminalize marijuana and expunge records.
- Work to end the privatization of prisons.
- Vote to abolish the death penalty.
- Fight to end minimum mandatory sentencing.
- Promote the End Money Bail Act to provide local systems with the resources they need to create local money free programs.
- Support mandatory bodycam legislation for federal, state, and local law enforcement.
- Invest in public and NGO victim funds, domestic violence shelters, and programs for survivors of sexual assault.
- Support the Biden administration in rebuilding the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Protection to ensure that juveniles’ records are expunged, prohibit them from being incarcerated in adult facilities, and to end the practice of jailing them for so-called “status offenses,” like underage drinking.
- As your Congresswoman, I will...
- Support the Green New Deal.
- Reinvest in and reform the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Prioritize justice for BIPOC communities located near fossil fuel production sites, landfills, industrial factory-farming, and sites most vulnerable to natural disasters worsened by climate change.
- Fight for Medicare for All so that there are no prohibitive costs associated with seeking treatment for health issues related to proximity to power plants, landfills, refineries, etc.
- Ensure BP settlement funds and requested federal resources are used effectively toward coastal restoration and protection projects.
- See that our communities receive the protection and risk reduction systems that they deserve and continue the push for an improved National Flood Insurance Program.
- As your Congresswoman, I will...
- Fight for a swift and humane pathway to citizenship.
- Ensure livable and humane conditions for any currently detained immigrants, and minimize any time spent in detention.
- Sponsor voter education and registration programs among immigrant communities as well as support initiatives to increase bilingual poll workers and election officials.[44]
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”
|
| —Desiree Ontiveros' campaign website (2021)[50]
|
Chelsea Ardoin
Campaign website
Ardoin's campaign website stated the following:
| “
|
- No New Taxes Until Debt is Addressed
- Coastal Protection for Louisiana and Gulf Coast
- Support Partial Birth Abortion Ban
- Term Limits for all Elected Congressional Officials
- Encourage Rural Internet Deployment[44]
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”
|
| —Chelsea Ardoin's campaign website (2021)[51]
|
Claston Bernard
Campaign website
Bernard's campaign website stated the following:
| “
|
- Maintaining a Foundation in God
- We have lost sight of our priorities. There are no truths apart from God’s truth. If you want freedom look to the Cross. If you need peace look to the cross. If you need justice look to the cross. God’s justice is perfect. If you need equality, look to the Cross, God made us in his image and of one blood. If you need strength look to the Cross and if you need salvation look to the Cross. The bedrock of every society is morality and religion; however, it requires a moral group of people. This country is the greatest in the world but has battled the evils of racism. We have made so much progress and cannot finish the fight by giving in to racism. We need to focus on creating opportunities for all but must do it without going back to judging others by race. This is immoral and conflicts with God’s message to love your neighbor as you do yourself.
- The bedrock of every society is strong and stable families. We need men in the homes, we need to address high out-of-wedlock births. This is not a slight on our strong single mothers and I will work to help everyone regardless of their situation, however, the evidence is overwhelming that, in this never-ending discussion about privilege, that a two-parent household is the real privilege. They have higher incomes, lower dropout rates, and less involvement in crime than single parent households. We must incentivize and promote the nuclear family. I believe life is precious and abortion is decimating the family, the black family in particular. We can protect the women’s rights without promoting the killing of innocent babies.
- The family is the first institution created by God and is the foundation of every society. Traditional marriage is the cornerstone of every family. Marriage promotes happiness. Families and individuals are best in making decisions about their children’s health, education, jobs, and welfare.
- Today over forty percent of children are born outside of marriages. In black America, over seventy-five percent of children are born out of marriages.
- Even though single parents work hard and many are successful, children raised by single parents are five times likely to live in poverty. :*Almost, forty percent of children in CD2 live in poverty. 21.6 percent of Single-parent households in CD2 live in poverty while only 5.1 of children in married households live in poverty.
- Black married couples tend to outearn white married couples, about twenty-nine percent of blacks are married. Poverty among black married couples is about seven percent nationally.
- Marriage is an essential tool against poverty and potentially reduces poverty by as much as 80 percent. We need to eliminate penalties for marriages in welfare programs.
- Welfare is not a one-way street, recipients who can work should work. A gradual phasing of benefits over a three-five year period should be implemented. Those who stay married should be rewarded and every additional child born in marriage after moving off welfare should receive a bonus towards education and about $5000.00 to help with family expenses.
- The welfare reform law in the 1990s that require those receiving welfare to work has been successful in reducing poverty
- We should support those who need help, but we expect those who are able-bodied to work in exchange for benefits. If you cannot find work we expect you to volunteer in community programs and supervised jobs training programs.
- Education is the best hope for many to get out of poverty, but our public schools are failing. Now, this failure is being compounded by a hyper focus on race and gender. Instead of bolstering reading comprehension or teaching STEM like the elite private schools, our kids are having white privilege and LGBTQ issues drilled into them. In a time when equality is such a strong focus, why would we allow our children to be given an inferior curriculum to that of the children of wealthy parents when education is the only true way to level the playing field?
- Education Plan.
- An Education After school programs could be:
Academic/college prep Art/music/dance History/world geography Trades (carpentry/electrical/plumbing, etc.)
- $3600 per student per year to pick any after school program. Paid for by donation that is counted as 100% tax credit.
- Qualifications: all kids between 6 and 17, living in zip codes where the median income is 35% of national median income ($40259.00). Or the median income of our district, which is $44,124.00.
- We are told that what our community needs is jobs. This is a fallacy, or at least starting at a higher rung on the ladder. What we need is skills. All the job openings in the world will not matter if we are not armed with the skills to do the job. We need a laser focus on skills. The trades are being ignored at a time when there is a shortage of carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and so on. Where is our computer hub teaching coding and soft skills? Where are our mentors and our management programs? We need to go back to the basics and teach the importance of hard work and delayed gratification before we can focus on jobs.
- There has been a lot of focus on policing recently. Those we give these powers to must be held to a higher standard and bad cops need to be removed, however, this focus on police takes away from our real problem. Criminals hurt law-abiding citizens and are an economic drain on the community. Investors are reluctant to build in high crime areas and this limits the opportunities of those in need. We need to prioritize crime. I do not want offenders treated differently based on race, nor do I feel non-violent offenders should get harsh sentences, however, something must be done about violent criminals terrorizing citizens. Shootings and violent assaults have been on the rise and they are not being committed by law enforcement. A healthy, prosperous community must first be a safe community.
- Life is precious and should be protected at inception. I believe we do not get to play God as to who should live or who should die. Slavery was a horrible institution, a human depravity, some women were raped and yet still they brought forth the life of those children. Had they not done that, we would have lost many great persons and whole bloodlines would have been wiped out. Many people would not be here today.
- As an immigrant to America, I share a deep concern for the undocumented. They have families to care for and because of this, I propose to give the undocumented migrant workers status which would allow them for 15 years to care for their families. After which they should be granted the ability to seek residency. This would deal with those who are already here and have created deep roots and strong family ties. It is important to be able to allow them to legally contribute to our economy without being a burden to our citizens. Many are hard-working and just want an opportunity to earn an honest living.
- It is also important to give foreign students opportunities to stay in America with a merit-based visa system. Immigrants coming to America want to be safe as many have fled horrible and dangerous conditions and we must be cognizant of that, we can only have a safe America if we have strong border security as we cannot allow the forces many have fled to walk into our country and do untold damages.
- As a people we have unalienable rights, the right to protect our person using force, sometimes deadly force. This is natural, and instinctive and as such I wholeheartedly support the Second Amendment. Those in crime-ridden areas deserve the right to protect themselves from criminals. The second amendment also protects the people from government tyranny.[44]
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”
|
| —Claston Bernard's campaign website (2021)[52]
|
Greg Lirette
Campaign website
Lirette's campaign website stated the following:
| “
|
- People are excited to have Lirette a cyber and IT person in Congress. The only candidate with a detailed Covid-19 and veterans plan.
- His platform includes
- Reviving our local economy, growing jobs, and supporting stimulus for those on unemployment
- Protecting our wallets from tax increases
- Requiring transparency and accountability of our tax dollars
- Helping our Veterans who sacrificed so much to defend our freedoms
- Cleaning up Congress by ending their special perks and insider trading
- Protecting our Constitutional Rights
- Calling out big tech censorship
- Addressing disinformation campaigns by being detailed and with facts
- Election integrity ensuring all legal votes count.[44]
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”
|
| —Greg Lirette's campaign website (2021)[53]
|
Sheldon Vincent Sr.
Campaign website
Vincent Sr.'s campaign website stated the following:
| “
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- As Congressman I Will Advocate the Following:
- Government was formed to do the things that are too expensive for the individual, such as: build roads, bridges, levy, infrastructure, public safety, national defense; not necessarily raise children.
- If tax payer funds are used to help children, I would file legislation that would require participation of both biological parents (dads matter). I believe that this change will in affect put a police officer in these homes called dad.[44]
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”
|
| —Sheldon Vincent Sr.'s campaign website (2021)[54]
|
Mindy McConnell
Campaign website
McConnell's campaign website stated the following:
| “
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- ECONOMIC FREEDOM AND GROWTH
- Mindy's top priority is re-opening the economy to get money back into your hands now.
- Deregulation of businesses and a reduction of government interference with personal liberties will lead to greater opportunity for all individuals and a proportionate distribution of personal wealth.
- When in office, Mindy will sponsor legislation that bans the state and federal government from denying business owners from operating their business at full capacity solely based on the type of business (i.e., "all theaters must close")
- As an educator and mother, Mindy is truly passionate about education reform. She plans to pass legislation that advances equity and access in public schools.
- Mindy opposes federally mandated curriculum, such as common core. She supports IDEA and the use of federal funds to ensure equal educational access for students with disabilities.
- Mindy believes that every child has the right to a free and appropriate public education. Parents have the right to use public funds to send their children to any school of their choice. Mindy supports traditional school districts, charter schools, and the voucher system. The best education for children will never be one size fits all.
- Mindy opposes government control of energy pricing, allocation, and production.
- Mindy supports a 15 year transition to clean energy, allowing oil and gas companies in Louisiana to develop infrastructure and business plans to support creating and distributing renewable energy. The smartest solution is one that supports both the financial health of Louisiana's economy and the environmental health of Louisiana citizens.
- Mindy also supports strengthening infrastructure to support the use of natural gas, including natural gas ports along the Mississippi River.
- Mindy maintains that government force must be limited to the protection of the rights of individuals to life, liberty, and property, and governments must never be permitted to violate these rights.
- She advocates that the constitutional rights of the criminally accused, including due process, a speedy trial, legal counsel, trial by jury, and the legal presumption of innocence until proven guilty, must be preserved.
- When in office, Mindy will sponsor legislation that:
- Decriminalizes victimless crimes such as drug possession
- Ends mandatory minimum sentences
- Abolishes juvenile detention centers and replaces them with a robust system of mandated community supports, counseling, and wraparound services
- Mindy advocates that all citizens have the right of equitable access to resources and to be free of biases, prejudices, and marginalism by government entities and fellow citizens.
- TAXES AND GOVERNMENT SPENDING
- Mindy supports a flat tax in conjunction with itemized deductions and credits. Her goal is to cut unnecessary government spending as the primary way to balance the federal budget. She denounces the federal government incurring debt on behalf of the people.
- Mindy seeks to significantly reduce federal expenditures by reducing regulatory agencies that are non-essential for the operating the three branches of the federal government and the military.
- When in office, Mindy will sponsor legislation that:
- directs the federal government to sell vacant land and buildings
- eliminates federal subsidies for Amtrak
- eliminate the Overseas Operations Contingency account
- Mindy will vote against any measure that frivolously spends taxpayer money.
- Mindy believes that all individuals, 18 and over, have the right to purchase, own, or possess any firearm, except felons convicted of violent crimes. She supports the right of all citizens, regardless of age, to purchase, own, or possess a rifle, shotgun, or other firearm typically used for hunting.
- Mindy supports the right for all consenting individuals to be lawfully married. She also supports the right for citizens to identify as any gender they choose and to be protected from discrimination that is based on their personal identity.
- Mindy pledges to cosponsor and vote for the U.S. Term Limits Amendment of three (3) House terms and two (2) Senate terms.[44]
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”
|
| —Mindy McConnell's campaign website (2021)[55]
|
Belden Batiste
Campaign website
Batiste’s campaign website stated the following:
| “
|
- Batiste’s platform is community driven.
- Housing for all
- Medicare for all
- Student debt cancellation
- A $22/hour living and saving wage
- Major investment in job training programs & small business loans for youth and returning citizens
- A moratorium on new petrochemical plants along Cancer Alley
- Reparations and fully funded medical care for residents of Cancer Alley and Gordon Plaza
- A Green New Deal for Louisiana that will create jobs by cleaning up and repurposing toxic sites
- Reimagining criminal justice by moving from a punitive system to a restorative system while protecting public safety
- A Youth Congress to give our young people a seat at the table to voice their needs[44]
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”
|
| —Belden Batiste's campaign website (2021)[56]
|
Brandon Jolicoeur
Campaign website
Jolicoeur’s campaign website stated the following:
| “
|
- Agriculture is the backbone of our society, and being such allows people in the 2nd District to support themselves and their families. We need to find ways to innovate agriculture that reduces the amount of runoff into the river and waterways, allowing for clean food and clean water. We also need to look at new cash crops by deregulating and legalizing Hemp production which would open an entirely new industry in Louisiana.
- The taxpayers of the United States are tired of frivolous spending and getting taxed more and more without seeing any change in system or the government. Each year we are billions if not trillions more in debt, with no end in sight. It is part of my pledge to Audit the Federal Government to see just where we are spending money, what can be cut, what can be reallocated to another area that needs it, and then determine if taxes can be lowered for the individual. Then I will strive to make certain taxes upon corporations fixed and non-deductible.
- COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY
- Broadband internet and mobile communications networks have spurred innovative services and devices that have transformed nearly every aspect of our daily lives. We must continue to ensure that everyone has access to these now essential services, especially in the underserved parts of the community.
- I am committed to making sure that all students no matter how rich a district is or how poor a district is, have access to the same quality of education. Education needs to be seen as an investment in our future and not as a commodity.
- I am committed to improving Louisiana's quality of life, and as such that means taking a hard look at the energy sector and reducing our dependency on oil and gas in order to reduce pollution in our area, specifically in what has become "Cancer Alley". We can supplement our needs and reduce dependency by utilizing technology that has existed since the beginning of the industrial revolution, and using that technology to harness the power of one of the most powerful rivers in the world, sitting right at our doorstep. We have wasted potential, literally flowing down stream in front of us.
- In Louisiana, our environment and our outdoors are the most important part of our economy and way of life. We must do everything we can to protect it, whether it is holding corporations accountable for the pollution they create, or looking at ways to build back the coast line that doesn't kill off ecosystems. If we do nothing, Sportsman's Paradise will no longer be a paradise but a wasteland, filled with dead zones caused by pollution and runoff in the River. Those waters being diverted into other areas are also disrupting entire ecosystems and we see the effect when masses of Dolphins and River Sturgeon wash up dead on the shores. Our fishermen are already seeing the effects by them having to travel further and further out to catch, and in some cases seeing the cancerous growths on the seafood being pulled from the waters. We can do better and we must.
- As a member of the LGBTQ community, I am a firm advocate of equality for all, regardless of Race or Sexual Orientation.
- I believe that all people should have the right to have a family should they choose to want one. I believe same sex couples can love a child just as much as heterosexual couples can. Additionally, I am a firm believer in the 1st Amendment, which gives us freedom of religion, and that one's religious beliefs cannot and should not be subjected upon another individual who does not hold those religious beliefs. Traditional Family Values used to mean that a white person and a black person could not get married, and luckily today we see how flawed that sort of thinking was. We must now move on to understand that no family is traditional, we all have our arguments and struggles, our good times and celebrations, and we all suffer loss. Here in Louisiana we have Family that we've known for decades and consider our kin, but that aren't related the traditional way, by blood. We are related by friendship, and sometimes we even cherish those friendships more than we do some of our own family members.
- We are the only developed nation that refuses to give healthcare to all of its citizens even though we have been fighting for it since the 1940's. This has to change. No one should have to worry whether or not they can afford to get sick or whether they can afford a medication that costs a dollar to make that the insurance company charges $400-$700 for. Healthcare is not a commodity, Peoples' lives are not commodities.
- HURRICANE RECOVERY & COASTAL RESTORATION
- As a coastal state that has faced the devastation of hurricanes time and time again, one of our primary goals should be to build up the coastline as our first line of defense, secure our levees and locks, and make sure that we are as prepared as possible with all the resources in place that can spring into action once a storm hits. Then we can adequately give people the resources they need instead of leaving them down and out, to fend for themselves.
- As the son of an immigrant with many friends who are immigrants or children of immigrants, or immigrants that came here as refugees, I can say the immigration takes a long time, a lot longer than some people have to be alive if they stay where they are. There are legal ways to immigration, and I believe those must be adhered to, but if they are here already, then I feel that we can provide a process for those individuals already contributing to our society.
- The United States was built off the backs and blood, sweat and tears of hardworking and honest immigrants who came here to build a better life for themselves and their families, and with that I will leave you with a poem inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty.
- The New Colossus
- BY Emma Lazarus
- Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
- With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
- Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
- A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
- Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
- Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
- Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
- The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
- “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
- With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
- Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
- The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
- Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
- I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
- Inland waterways and harbors are important components of the nation's transportation system. Like highways and runways, our nation's 12,000-mile Mississippi inland waterway system, which funnels into the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth in Louisiana, is an important transport resource. Locally, we have waterways and canals that give access to many areas that are inaccessible otherwise. Some Marinas rely solely on access to these waterways to keep them in business and have been forced to close due to people putting fences across canals that have been used as right-of-ways for decades. I will work tirelessly to ensure that these gates get taken down and will investigate to see if any of the gates currently up, received all the appropriate permits needed when building anything in wetlands, marshes and along the banks of waterways.
- Congress must protect the security of the United States, both at home and abroad. America faces a diverse range of threats, from radical Islamic terrorists to domestic Radical White Supremacists and other radical groups that wish to do us harm here at home. We must be proactive in determining who these people are and the threats they pose in order to stop them from committing any of the heinous acts we've witnessed.
- Congress has a duty to preserve the Social Security program for workers and retirees who have played by the rules and paid into Social Security throughout their careers. Congress must also work to make the program sustainable for future generations. One of the first things we can do is give those on these fixed incomes a Cost Of Living Adjustment to allow our Retirees more flexibility in their lives on how they can spend their money.
- I am the son of two Navy Veterans and the brother of a Coast Guard Veteran, as well as the Grandson of an Army Veteran and a Marine Veteran. We owe a great deal to our veterans and what we need to to better is get them the help and the healthcare they need, whether it's psychological or medical help. Our veterans need us and we must come through for them and ensure that they feel at home and feel that they are valued members of our society.[44]
|
”
|
| —Brandon Jolicoeur's campaign website (2021)[57]
|
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
Troy Carter
Supporting Carter
| "Matters" - Carter campaign ad, released February 25, 2021
|
|
|
Karen Peterson
Supporting Peterson
| "Doesn't Mess Around" - Peterson campaign ad, released February 26, 2021
|
|
| "Tested" - Peterson campaign ad, released February 11, 2021
|
|
| "Gov. Howard Dean Endorses Sen. Karen Carter Peterson for Congress" - Peterson campaign ad, released January 12, 2021
|
|
| "Karen Carter Peterson for Congress Launch Video" - Peterson campaign ad, released December 16, 2020
|
|
|
Claston Bernard
Supporting Bernard
| "Claston Bernard Radio Ad" - Bernard campaign ad, released February 25, 2021
|
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| "Bernard for Congress" - Bernard campaign ad, released January 26, 2021
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Debates and forums
March 17, 2021
WDSU-TV hosted the first and only debate held for candidates in this race. Carter, Peterson, and Chambers were invited to participate, but Carter declined. View a video here.
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District special election, 2021: Primary election polls
|
| Poll
|
Date
|
Carter
|
Peterson
|
Chambers
|
Other
|
Undecided
|
Margin of error
|
Sample size
|
Sponsor
|
| Edgewater Research[58] |
Mar. 2-7 |
35% |
24% |
11% |
16% |
15% |
± 3.8% |
651 |
WDSU
|
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name |
Party |
Receipts* |
Disbursements** |
Cash on hand |
Date |
| Troy Carter |
Democratic Party |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Data not available*** |
| Gary Chambers |
Democratic Party |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Data not available*** |
| Harold John |
Democratic Party |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Data not available*** |
| J. Christopher Johnson |
Democratic Party |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Data not available*** |
| Lloyd Kelly |
Democratic Party |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Data not available*** |
| Desiree Ontiveros |
Democratic Party |
$50,696 |
$50,696 |
$0 |
As of April 15, 2021 |
| Karen Peterson |
Democratic Party |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Data not available*** |
| Jenette Porter |
Democratic Party |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Data not available*** |
| Chelsea Ardoin |
Republican Party |
$10,782 |
$11,153 |
$0 |
As of September 30, 2021 |
| Claston Bernard |
Republican Party |
$200,720 |
$196,217 |
$4,503 |
As of December 31, 2022 |
| Greg Lirette |
Republican Party |
$79,425 |
$65,162 |
$14,263 |
As of February 28, 2021 |
| Sheldon Vincent Sr. |
Republican Party |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Data not available*** |
| Mindy McConnell |
Libertarian Party |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Data not available*** |
| Belden Batiste |
Independent |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Data not available*** |
| Brandon Jolicoeur |
Independent |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," . This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.
|
Primaries in Louisiana
In Louisiana, rules to participate in primaries vary by the office up for election. For congress, justice of the supreme court, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Public Service Commission, the state uses a semi-closed primary. In these primaries, only unaffiliated voters and voters registered with a party may vote in that party's primary. For all other statewide offices—including state senator and representative—Louisiana uses the majority-vote system. In this system, if a candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for an office, they win the election outright. If, however, no candidate reaches that threshold, a second round of voting is held between the top two vote-getters. Any registered voter can participate in both the first-round and second-round elections.[59][60]
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+25, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 25 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District the 42nd most Democratic nationally.[61]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.98. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.98 points toward that party.[62]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no Pivot Counties in Louisiana. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
District election history
2020
- See also: Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020
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.
Nonpartisan primary election
2018
- See also: Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District election, 2018
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.
Nonpartisan primary election
2016
- See also: Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District election, 2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Cedric Richmond (D) defeated Kip Holden (D), Kenneth Cutno (D), and Samuel Davenport (L) in the primary election on November 8, 2016. [63]
U.S. House, Louisiana District 2 Primary Election, 2016
| Party |
Candidate |
Vote % |
Votes |
| |
Democratic |
 Cedric Richmond Incumbent |
69.8% |
198,289 |
| |
Democratic |
Kip Holden |
20.1% |
57,125 |
| |
Democratic |
Kenneth Cutno |
10.2% |
28,855 |
| Total Votes |
284,269 |
| Source: Louisiana Secretary of State |
2014
- See also: Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014
The 2nd Congressional District of Louisiana held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Cedric Richmond (D) defeated a host of candidates in the election.
U.S. House, Louisiana District 2 Primary Election, 2014
| Party |
Candidate |
Vote % |
Votes |
| |
Democratic |
Cedric Richmond Incumbent |
68.7% |
152,201 |
| |
Democratic |
Gary Landrieu |
17.1% |
37,805 |
| |
Libertarian |
Samuel Davenport |
6.9% |
15,237 |
| |
Independent |
David Brooks |
7.4% |
16,327 |
| Total Votes |
221,570 |
| Source: Louisiana Secretary of State |
See also
External links
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "GET ELECTION INFORMATION," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "VOTING ON ELECTION DAY," accessed January 7, 2021
- ↑ New Orleans Public Radio, "Baton Rouge Activist Gary Chambers Mounts Bid For 2nd Congressional Dist. Seat," February 2, 2021
- ↑ KLFY, "Who will succeed Cedric Richmond in Congress? Hopefuls file their papers," January 21, 2021
- ↑ 4WWL, "Stacey Abrams endorses Karen Carter Peterson for Louisiana's U.S. House seat," January 14, 2021
- ↑ New Orleans Public Radio, "Baton Rouge Activist Gary Chambers Mounts Bid For 2nd Congressional Dist. Seat," February 2, 2021
- ↑ The Advocate, "2nd Congressional Districts candidates go to TV," February 13, 2021
- ↑ KLFY, "Who will succeed Cedric Richmond in Congress? Hopefuls file their papers," January 21, 2021
- ↑ Daily Advertiser, "Joe Biden names 9 top White House appointees, including Rep. Cedric Richmond and campaign manager O'Malley Dillon," November 17, 2020
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named announcement
- ↑ In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ Troy Carter for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ Troy Carter for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ Troy Carter for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ The Advocate, "See who qualified to run for Cedric Richmond, Luke Letlow's congressional seats," January 20, 2021
- ↑ NOLA, "Troy Carter receives two important endorsements in the race to replace Cedric Richmond," February 22, 2021
- ↑ NOLA, "Troy Carter receives two important endorsements in the race to replace Cedric Richmond," February 22, 2021
- ↑ Troy Carter for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ YouTube, "Message from Claston Bernard, Rep. Vernon Jones and Congressman Burgess Owens," March 11, 2021
- ↑ Troy Carter for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ Troy Carter for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ The Advocate, "New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno backs Sen. Troy Carter in congressional race," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ 4WWL, "Stacey Abrams endorses Karen Carter Peterson for Louisiana's U.S. House seat," January 14, 2021
- ↑ YouTube, "Message from Claston Bernard, Rep. Vernon Jones and Congressman Burgess Owens," March 11, 2021
- ↑ New Orleans Public Radio, "Baton Rouge Activist Gary Chambers Mounts Bid For 2nd Congressional Dist. Seat," February 2, 2021
- ↑ Troy Carter for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ Big Easy Magazine, "Voting Rights Champion Stacey Abrams Endorses Karen Carter Peterson for Louisiana’s U.S. House Seat," January 14, 2021
- ↑ Troy Carter for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO, "Endorsements 2021," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ NOLA, "Troy Carter receives two important endorsements in the race to replace Cedric Richmond," February 22, 2021
- ↑ Democrats Work For America, "2020-2021 Election Cycle Endorsements," accessed March 3, 2021
- ↑ Karen Carter Peterson for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed February 4, 2021
- ↑ Karen Carter Peterson for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed February 4, 2021
- ↑ [https://www.forumforequalitypac.com/endorsed-candidates Forum for Equality, "Endorsed Candidates," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ Karen Carter Peterson for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed February 4, 2021
- ↑ National Right to Life, "National Right to Life Endorses Claston Bernard in the Special Election for the U.S. House 2nd District in Louisiana," March 5, 2021
- ↑ Karen Carter Peterson for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed February 4, 2021
- ↑ Karen Carter Peterson for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed February 4, 2021
- ↑ Republican Party of Louisiana, "Endorsements," accessed March 16, 2021
- ↑ Karen Carter Peterson for Congress, "Endorsements," accessed February 4, 2021
- ↑ The Advocate, "Our Views: The Times-Picayune endorses Troy Carter for Congress," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ Gambit, "Our endorsements for the March 20 special election," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑ [https://thehayride.com/2021/01/the-hayride-is-backing-claston-bernard-for-the-2nd-district-and-so-should-you/
The Hayride, "The Hayride Is Backing Claston Bernard For The 2nd District, And So Should You," accessed March 15, 2021]
- ↑ 44.00 44.01 44.02 44.03 44.04 44.05 44.06 44.07 44.08 44.09 44.10 44.11 44.12 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Troy Carter for Congress, “Meet Troy,” accessed February 11, 2020
- ↑ Karen Carter Peterson for Congress," "Priorities," accessed February 11, 2021
- ↑ Gary Chambers for Congress, "Priorities" accessed February 11, 2021
- ↑ Harold John for Congress, "Home" accessed March 17, 2021
- ↑ J. Christopher Johnson for Congress, "The Issues" accessed March17, 2021
- ↑ Desiree Ontiveros for Congress, "Issues" accessed March 17, 2021
- ↑ Chelsea Ardoin for Congress, "Home" accessed March 17, 2021
- ↑ Claston Bernard for Congress, "Platform" accessed March 17, 2021
- ↑ Lirette for Congress, "Home" accessed March 17, 2021
- ↑ Sheldon C. Vincent Sr., "About" accessed March 17, 2021
- ↑ Mindy McConnell for Congress, "Issues" accessed March 17, 2021
- ↑ Belden Batiste for Congress, "Home" accessed March 17, 2021
- ↑ Brandon Jolicoeur for Congress, "Issues" accessed March 17, 2021
- ↑ Carter, Peterson, and Chambers were the only candidate option in this poll.
- ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:410.3," accessed November 12, 2025
- ↑ Louisiana State Legislature, "La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:401," accessed November 12, 2025
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Candidate Inquiry," accessed July 25, 2016
Senators
Representatives
Republican Party (6)
Democratic Party (2)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
