For the first time since Lindy Boggs chose not to seek reelection in 1990, Louisiana’s Second Congressional seat will not have an incumbent defending the spot.
There are four major candidates of standing seeking the opportunity to succeed former Congressman and current Biden Administration advisor Cedric Richmond.
The three leading Democrats are State Senator and former New Orleans City Councilman Troy Carter, State Senator and ex-Louisiana Democratic Party chairwoman Karen Carter Peterson, and race-hustling Baton Rouge political activist and protest leader Gary Chambers.
On the other side of the political aisle is Claston Bernard, who is the first African-American candidate seeking federal office with the full support of the Louisiana Republican Party.
Despite his spirited campaign and the unprecedented nature of his candidacy, Bernard was not invited to participate in a televised debate hosted by a local news station.
On the Democratic side the choice is largely geographical (New Orleans v. Baton Rouge), political machine support, personality, and the degree of their endorsement of the far left agenda.
Bernard represents an entirely different candidacy altogether.
An immigrant and former Olympian, the black Republican candidate’s life story and platform truly differentiates himself from the three major Democrats.
Yet the media has worked to short circuit Bernard’s exposure.
And it’s not like the other candidates are consistent winners.
Troy Carter finished a distant fifth place for mayor of New Orleans in 2002.
Karen Carter Peterson was unable to defeat the corrupt Bill Jefferson despite having an open field where she could’ve drawn Republican support. Ironically it would be Republican Joseph Cao who accomplished the task of ending the embarrassment in a historic election.
And Chambers last made news hawking t-shirts heckling an East Baton Rouge School Board member for not fully embracing a name change at Lee High School and for allegedly online shopping during a meeting when the matter was being argued.
While the kerfuffle made the local news, the recall against the embattled school board member went belly up. And when Chambers ran for the state senate in 2019, he was throttled by Regina Barrow in a three-to-one blowout.
Yet in the face of the aforementioned, a one-time decathlon competitor on the world stage who is running on completely different priorities couldn’t have a seat at the debate table?
Voter turnout for the Second Congressional District will be very low on Saturday.
Claston Bernard has answered the bell, literally run the race, and given the voters a real choice.
Conservatives and individuals who are tired of the same old, same old and want a different kind of representative in Congress should take advantage of this rare opportunity in the Democratic-dominated district to vote for Claston Bernard.