There are four candidates in the East Baton Rouge mayor-president election that polled above 2% – incumbent Sharon Weston Broome and Ted James, both Democrats, and Republicans “Sid” Edwards and Steve Myers.
The most recent poll, conducted at the end of August by JMC Analytics, shows 29% for Broome, 23% for both Edwards and James, and Myers at 3%.
The East Baton Rouge Mayoral Candidate Forum will be hosted at the Baton Rouge High School Theater on Thursday, Oct. 10. The top four candidates will be able to address issues in East Baton Rouge Parish.
Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. The last day to register electronically is Oct. 15 and the last day to request a mail-in ballot is Nov. 1. Early voting begins Oct. 18 and runs through Oct. 28.
Sharon Weston Broome
Current Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome is running for re-election. As the incumbent, Broome believes she is the best candidate because she has been in the role for eight more years than her opponents. If elected, this would be her third and final term.
She has projects she hopes to complete in a third term, such as a riverfront development highlighting the Mississippi River. Another project her administration has already begun is transforming the Raising Cane’s River Center into a hotel and conference center. She believes that by addressing “quality of place” issues in Baton Rouge, the city will be able to retain talent better.
Broome started out on the Metropolitan Council, moving on to serve in both the state Senate and House of Representatives. Having now served two full terms as mayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish, she said “no other candidate has that experience.”
“I believe when people look at the work that I’ve done over the past eight years, they will see someone who is knowledgeable, but who also demonstrated corresponding action to the issues that we face in our city and in our community,” Broome said. “I believe we are on a path to a new city image that illuminates inclusivity, that’s welcoming and that will be safe, vibrant and creative.”
Ted James
Former State Rep. Ted James is running for mayor-president with a vision for the city-parish that includes investing in small businesses to stimulate economic growth. Previously, James served as the regional administrator for the Small Business Association where he oversaw SBA’s programs, offices and operations in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. In this position, he saw how other cities were managed and was devastated to come home and see Baton Rouge “stagnant.” He hopes to change that through economic development and a commitment to improving education and public safety.
“Communities are outpacing Baton Rouge because we don’t have a vision for the future, and we have lacked the type of leadership needed,” he said.
In reference to the recently defined city of St. George, James said, “We need to come to the table with a spirit of working together, not a spirit of continuing to fight.” He said that as someone who has experience working with people he doesn’t always agree with, he is the best for leading the transition.
“I’m going to use my experience at the legislature and in the federal government to make sure I’m pulling down resources to fix age-old problems in East Baton Rouge Parish that have been ignored,” James said.
James earned the Baton Rouge Democratic Party’s endorsement over Broome.
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Coach “Sid” Edwards
Endorsed by the East Baton Rouge Parish Republican Party, “Sid” Edwards has a campaign platform based on crime cleanup, city aesthetics and infrastructure improvements, a combination of which Edwards says will result in economic development for the city of Baton Rouge.
While Edwards is not the traditional politician, he has garnered support from the community through his long history as a high school football coach. Currently, he is the dean of students and head football coach at Istrouma High School.
According to a report by The Advocate, Edwards has not voted in the past 25 elections – criticism that the candidate rebutted by saying he became “apolitical” and was “tired of the corruption” at a debate and forum last week.
Steve Myers
Republican Steve Myers is running for mayor-president with a low-budget campaign, appealing to undecided voters. He takes the “everyman” approach, emphasizing issues like crime and infrastructure. He also advocates for more transparency in the city and parish governance.
He proudly refers to himself as a “gadfly”, or someone who asks questions and challenges the status quo politically.
“Society, we don’t move forward unless there’s somebody out there that’s willing to challenge the status quo,” Myers said.
Myers has run in multiple area race elections as both a Democrat and a Republican. He’s a lawyer in Baton Rouge and previously created and reported for Tiger Rag. If elected, he only desires one term in office and is in support of separating mayor-president into two positions – a parish president and a mayor for the city of Baton Rouge.
“I’m going to do it right, and I’m going to do it for the benefit of the common people and the general welfare, not for some insider who wants a contract out of the city,” Myers said.
