Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins
Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins for U-S Senate. UL-Lafayette Political Science Professor Pearson Cross says an endorsement is never a bad thing, but he does not feel it will sway white Louisiana voters at the polls since only 14-percent of them supported Obama in 2012.
“Having him endorse another African-American running for office in Louisiana is probably not going to change the odds that many more white people are going to get behind Mr. Perkins,” says Cross.
However, Cross says the endorsement does raise Perkin’s profile on a national level.
“But certainly this kind of calling out by Barack Obama to his candidacy will certainly raise his profile, should help with fundraising, and it should also help with upcoming positions at the Federal level if he should want to go for those,” says Cross.
Cross says there has not been much attention focused on the Senate race because Louisiana is perceived as a red state and it is unlikely to flip.
“If we were we’d have lots of attention in this state, but given that most people see it as a safe race for the Republican in office, in that case there’s not that much attention or money being spent,” says Cross.
Perkins is running against incumbent Republican Senator Bill Cassidy.
Written and reported by Brooke Thorington
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