Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Gary Chambers, visited the Business Education Complex on Wednesday to talk to students about his progressive campaign policies at an event hosted by LSU College Democrats.
Chambers, a Baton Rouge native small-business owner, despite running against Louisiana Republican Senator incumbent, John Kennedy, said the only way to give people hope about passing progressive policy is to “fight like hell.”
“My job running for U.S. Senate is to go and fight for progressive policies,” Chambers said. “But secondly, to find out how do we address these problems?”
Chambers acknowledged that campus safety is a concern for LSU students right now, referencing Allison Rice, the senior shot and killed when she went off-campus in Baton Rouge last month.
Chambers said that the solution isn’t lining the streets with more police officers, adding that it doesn’t make him feel safe; it makes him feel watched.
“What makes me feel safe is ensuring that people have the resources to not go out and commit crime,” Chambers said. “That people who need mental health services have the ability to get mental health services. That young people are not in struggling households because their mothers and fathers make $7.25 an hour.”
He said that came to speak to students because the younger demographic is not voting. According to Chambers, young voters and college students are “the secret sauce” to winning the election.
“You cannot win if you cannot motivate the base of the party,” Chambers said. “I have been active and intentional about going against the grain and going after the base of the party.”
Chambers, despite having family members whose livelihoods depend on the state’s oil and gas production, said that oil and gas jobs are going to die anyway, advocating for Louisiana to diversify its economy.
The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results, he said.
Political science senior Myles Kamara, a 27 years old independent, noticed how Chambers’ campaign doesn’t talk about inflation issues. During the event, he asked Chambers what the campaign’s plan for inflation is.
“My question was concerning just like everyday things,” Kamara said after the event. “So like…going to Walmart for my groceries. That’s high. If I want to treat my kids and get them a snack from Canes. That’s high. If I need to buy something from Amazon, that’s gotten higher.”
In response to Kamara’s question, Chambers said he wants to heavily tax companies who manufacture or produce goods overseas in places like China, hoping to incentivize these companies to stay in the country, lowering the prices of goods as a result and boosting the economy.
“Your response is to go after companies’ price gouging,” Kamara said. “Cool, but how are you going to go after my landlord? Or, again, how are you going to go after the things that I use on a daily basis that have now become more expensive?”
Kamara said he believes Chamber is a great activist, but doesn’t trust him as a politician.
Political science junior John Savoy signed up to receive a Chambers yard sign in late June. When Savoy forgot to pick up the sign, he was surprised to see Chambers at his doorstep delivering the forgotten sign.
Shortly after, Savoy became a volunteer for Chambers’ campaign and is excited to be part of a grassroots campaign. Between knocking on doors and talking to people face-to-face, Savoy said it’s a hands-on job.
“He’s the candidate that is gonna do the most for me,” Savoy said.” Young people, people who are college-educated and minorities.”
A member of the LSU College Democrats, Savoy believes there’s a lot to fight for in America, and Chambers is the right person to help.
“The most important thing is to remember this duty of ours as people from Louisiana, to support policies and politicians who are going to help you out,” Savoy said.
Because of his campaign, Chambers said he doesn’t get to see his 12-year-old daughter as much as he’d like.
“I hope you guys are going to help me win this thing so that my daughter can say it was all worth it,” Chambers said.
US Senate candidate Gary Chambers speaks to LSU students Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022, in room 1620 at the Business Education Complex on LSU's campus.
