Senator Cleo Fields (D) - Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge Democratic Senator Cleo Fields said he will run for the newly created 6th congressional seat currently held by Republican Congressman Garret Graves. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat said he’s not surprised considering the new map perfectly caters to the Black Democrat.
“It’s a district he can run a campaign in. It’s a district that the Legislature tailor-made for him, so why wouldn’t he run?” said Pinsonat.
And it wouldn’t be Fields first congressional campaign. From 1993 to 1997 Fields represented the state’s then 4th district which was then redrawn after the courts ruled it was gerrymandered. Pinsonat said with the map redrawn again, Fields’ congressional career could come full circle.
“It became more of a white district, and he couldn’t win so now here he is again, and low and behold it’s a Black district again, so Cleo gets another bite at the apple,” said Pinsonat.
District 6 now spans from East Baton Rouge Parish north to Caddo Parish and Pinsonat said it’s around 54 percent majority-Black voting age. He said Fields running for the seat is a no-brainer.
“He gets to run in a district that was created to elect a Black, so who else would be running, he is the strongest candidate,” said Pinsonat.
Fields released a statement on Tuesday that he will formally announce his candidacy in the next few weeks.
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