Retired DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson kicked off his campaign for governor today with a video announcement on his website WilsonForLA.com. Wilson, the first high-profile Democrat to jump in the race, said he’s a bridge builder, literally and figuratively….
“Louisiana needs a governor who will build bridges, not burn them. I’m Shawn Wilson and that’s the kind of leader that I’ve been and that’s exactly the kind of
After working for the state for 25 years, Wilson retired from the Department of Transportation and Development on Saturday. He’s worked with four different governors and is running to be the next governor.
Seven years ago, Wilson was appointed Secretary of DOTD and said back then the state was facing record budget deficits and a slumping economy. He said the department was short on funds and plans for a majority of the infrastructure projects the state needed were not in the works.
“So, we got to work bringing together, local, state, and federal leaders, Republicans, Democrats, and independents. We got innovative, tapped into federal funding we’d never used before, and created the largest infrastructure investment in state history,” said Wilson.
Under Wilson’s leadership, the state has invested almost $5.5 billion in more than 2,000 projects across the state that include 162 bridges, 7,000 miles of road improvements, and investments in ports, rail, and flood control.
“Those successes were only made possible because we were able to put political differences aside, bridge the divide and come together to make meaningful progress. That is the only way to move Louisiana forward,” said Wilson.
Along with being the first formidable Democrat in the race, Wilson is the only African-American in the 2023 governor’s race.
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