I have a daily ritual if I am at my home office. At 5:30 p.m., I sit down with my usual rum and coke (with a little cherry juice added in) and watch the national news, followed by the local news. I do not answer the phone or door bell during that time. I am often amazed at how many people do not watch the news or read a newspaper, as depressing as that experience can be sometimes. Perhaps they are getting their news from the Internet. At least I hope so.
The 2014 elections will be Nov. 4, and declared and potential candidates are getting into full campaign mode as we head toward qualifying, which is Aug. 20-22. Here are some thoughts about the current status of state and local politics.
Congressional Clout
Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill, every session of Congress comes up with its “Clout Index.” It reveals which state delegations in Congress have the most powerful positions and influence. Surprisingly, for the current 113th Congress, Louisiana ranks No. 4 out of the 50 state delegations, Cook Yancey-One quite Community an achievement for a state that seems to be at the top of every bad list and at the bottom of every good list in various surveys.
The Pelican State could move up in clout in the 114th Congress, which begins in 2015. The No. 4 ranking does not include the fact that Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu is now chair of the powerful Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and that Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of the First Congressional District is now U.S. House Majority Whip, the third most powerful post in his party.
If both are re-elected, and let’s hope they are, Louisiana could claim the No. 1 spot as the most powerful delegation in Congress. That enviable distinction would be of great benefit to the state as a whole. And let’s face it, we need all the help we can get.
Shreveport Mayor’s Race
Things seems to be on cruise control in the race to replace Mayor Cedric Glover as Shreveport’s top executive. Four candidates have declared -- state Reps. Patrick Williams and Roy Burrell, former Caddo Schools Superintendent Ollie Tyler, and street evangelist Melvin Slack. All four are African-Americans. Williams and Tyler 5/5/14 have billboards 3:25 PM Page up 1around the city.
Still undecided is what former Mayor Keith Hightower, a white Democrat, will do. He said he was conducting a poll the latter part of May, but no word from him since. In reality, he need not rush to judgment on the mayor’s race. He has citywide name recognition and a hefty campaign fund of $270,000 at the end of 2013, which he can use for the mayor’s race.
Other potential candidates include Caddo Commissioner Michael Williams, businesswoman Maxine Sarpy and City Councilman Sam Jenkins. No official declaration from any of them yet. With the race being an open seat since Glover is term-limited after two terms, it is a bit surprising that more candidates have not stepped forward. The latest voter registration figures for the city of Shreveport show that 53 percent of the voters are black, 43 percent are white and 4 percent are other races.
Shreveport City Marshal’s Race
One of the most interesting – and contentious – races this fall could be for the Shreveport City Marshal’s job. The position is currently held by Marshal Charlie Caldwell, who is seeking another six-year term. But already four viable potential opponents are saying they are going to run, two of whom were fired by Caldwell, which could set the stage for political fireworks.
Saying they are going to run are Joey Hester, a retired SPD lieutenant, who worked in the City marshal’s Office for six years before being fired; Anthony “A.J.” Johnson, who worked as a Caddo deputy sheriff and as a deputy marshal until he was fired; Don “D.D.” Otis, a retired SPD lieutenant, who also worked as a Caddo deputy sheriff; and Jim Taliaferro, a SPD sergeant who heads up Crime Stoppers. Caldwell, Johnson, and Otis are black; Hester and Taliaferro are white. Taliaferro cannot officially declare until he retires from SPD, which will likely be mid-July.
Getting Out of the City
While a bit off-subject, I wanted to mention that I made a trip to Winnfield last week for the swearing in of its new mayor, Kiah Beville. Linda Talbert, who is originally from Winnfield and still has a home there, joined me. We had provided some political advice to Beville, who is white and was running in a majority-black city. The race was a close one, but he was victorious, so he wanted us to be there.
Winnfield is an interesting city, which I got to know when I worked with U.S. Rep. Jerry Huckaby because Winn Parish was in our district. It is the home of three governors – Huey Long, Earl Long, and O.K. Allen. Earl Long and Allen are buried in Winnfield.
The visit gave Linda and me a chance to visit with some old friends, such as Tommy Straughan and City Judge Staci Wiley, along with several others. City residents – white and black – seem optimistic about the future of the city with Beville at the helm, hoping he can bring industry and stem its declining population.
Lou Gehrig Burnett, an award-winning journalist, has been involved with politics for 44 years and was a congressional aide in Washington, D.C., for 27 years. He also served as executive assistant to former Shreveport Mayor Bo Williams. Burnett is the publisher of the weekly “FaxNet Update” and can be reached at 861-0552 or [email protected].
