Left Senator Cleo Fields (D) and right, Elbert Guillory (R). July 17, 2024.
Two candidates who qualified for the newly drawn 6th Congressional District today are no strangers to politics. Democrat Baton Rouge Senator Cleo Fields, who served two terms in Congress in the 90s, and Republican Elbert Guillory who represented Opelousas in the state legislature.
The 61-year-old Fields said even though the current congressional map with a second majority-minority district is being challenged it won’t distract him from doing his job.
“Right now, we have six members of Congress and only one is an African American and the state is 33% Black. Everybody should have an opportunity because when people are included things work better,” said Fields.
80-year-old Guillory said the 6th District Congressional lines were severely gerrymandered and he believes the district will be modified but in the meantime, it deserves to be properly represented.
“However that comes, we’ll be prepared to work with it, and until then for the next two years, we’re stuck with that district, and let’s make the best of what we have,” said Guillory.
Fields said there are parts of the district that haven’t used infrastructure funds to expand things like broadband. He said local governments don’t know how to access those dollars and he can help.
“That goes back to networking with these local mayors, making sure that my office is ready, willing, and able to assist them access the dollars that are available to them,” said Fields.
Guillory said in two years a lot of damage could be done in Congress. He referenced a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to vote in federal elections.
“That level of insanity is beyond me, it’s beyond the folks from where I come from, just they can’t believe that’s happening. So, I have to go and stop it,” said Guillory.
Congressman Garret Graves who currently represents the 6th district opted not to run for re-election because the district was redrawn at a disadvantage to him another term.
As of Wednesday, Quentin Anthony Anderson also filed to run as a Democrat in the district.
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