Seven Louisiana gubernatorial candidates debated some of the state’s biggest issues Wednesday night in the Bo Campbell Auditorium as part of an event sponsored by the LSU Faculty Senate.
The nearly three-hour debate, which was moderated by WRKF-FM radio personality Jim Engster, focused on issues involving funding and reform of the education system, budgetary concerns and unemployment.
Audience members had the option to write down a question for the candidates and 15 of these questions were addressed, many of which focused on higher education.The candidates each had 90 seconds to respond to the question.
Through this, Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope said the candidates presented an array of “constructive solutions” to problems currently facing the state and University. Disapproval among candidates of the current administration’s policies was apparent.
The candidates in attendance included David Blanchard, I-Brusly; Lenny Bollingham, I-Baton Rouge; Cary Deaton, D-Metairie; Tara Hollis, D-Haynesville; Scott Lewis, Libertarian-Baton Rouge; Androniki “Niki Bird” Papazoglakis, D-Baton Rouge; and Ivo “Trey” Roberts, D-Gretna.
Ron Ceasar, I- Opelousas; William Robert “Bob” Lang, I-Natchitoches; and the incumbent Gov. Bobby Jindal did not attend.
Bollingham commented on Jindal’s absence, saying “He’s not tardy, he’s not in attendance. He gets an ‘F’ for