Today is an important day for Southwest Louisiana. It is an election day when area residents will choose the man who will
represent us in the U.S. House for Representatives for the next two years.
The two candidates are in a runoff
election for the 3rd Congressional District of Louisiana. Both men,
Charles Boustany Jr.
of Lafayette and Jeff Landry of New Iberia, are incumbents who
were thrown into the same newly drawn district when the state
lost a seat in Congress after the 2010 census.
This is the only undecided House seat left in the nation after the Nov. 6 general election. Since both men are Republicans,
there will be no impact on Republican control of the House of Representatives.
The American Press
has endorsed Boustany, who has represented this part of the state since
2006 in the old 7th Congressional District. He is
a medical doctor and was among the leaders in the opposition to
Obamacare. He is a member of the Ways and Means Committee
in the House, and his committee assignments are the oversight
subcommittee (chairman), human resources subcommittee and select
revenue measures subcommittee.
Landry was elected to represent the
old 3rd Congressional District in 2010 and is active in the tea party
movement. He is
a veteran and businessman in New Iberia. Landry’s committee
assignments in the House are the natural resources committee,
transportation and infrastructure committee and small business
committee. Landry is also a member of the Republican Study
Committee, Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, National Guard &
Reserve Components Caucus, Coast Guard Caucus, General Aviation
Caucus, Tea Party Caucus and Values Action Team.
Allen Parish will also have runoff elections for a School Board seat and Oakdale mayor.
There are also a number of tax propositions for recreation, fire protection, courthouse maintenance, schools, drainage and
street improvements in Allen, Beauregard, Jeff Davis and Vernon parishes.
Vernon Parish voters are being asked to approve an additional homestead exemption for certain disabled veterans and surviving
spouses.
This is an important election, and every registered voter has a duty and responsibility to cast his or her ballot.
The polls are open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Don’t neglect your duty. Go vote.
• • •
This editorial was written by a member of the American Press Editorial Board. Its content reflects the collaborative opinion of the Board, whose members include Bobby Dower, Ken Stickney,
Jim Beam, Crystal Stevenson and Donna Price.