JPDEC RECOMMENDS SHAWN WILSON FOR GOVERNOR

JEFFERSON PARISH DEMOCRATS RECOMMEND SECRETARY SHAWN WILSON FOR GOVERNOR

 By Paul Anger, 2nd vice chair for public relations, JPDEC

        The Jefferson Parish Democratic Executive Committee (JPDEC) on Tuesday recommended – by acclamation – Secretary Shawn Wilson for governor of Louisiana.

        Wilson, former secretary of transportation under Gov. John Bel Edwards, boasts 25 years’ worth of service in state government. In his seven years as transportation secretary, he oversaw 7,000 miles of roadway built in Louisiana and launched infrastructure projects worth $5 billion – bridges, interstates, rural roads, Mississippi River dredging, flood mitigation, railways and more.

        Wilson is a product of New Orleans public education and a long-time resident of Lafayette, earning his undergraduate degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and a doctorate in public policy from Southern University. He’s seeking to become the first black candidate to win a statewide election in Louisiana in 150 years.

        He is confident he can pull together a similar coalition of Louisiana voters who supported Gov. Edwards, a rare Democratic governor in the Deep South.

        “I’m a bridge-builder,” Wilson says. “We will always face obstacles. To overcome them requires leaders that will work with everyone, at all levels of government, regardless of party or ideology – from fighting crime in our cities to flooding in our homes and businesses.”

         He supports raising the minimum wage, paying women the same amount as men for the same work, and substantially raising teacher pay. He’s opposed to taking guns from lawful citizens but favors universal background checks. He’s personally opposed to abortion for religious reasons but earlier this year told The Advocate that he believes “it’s not the government’s right to tell a woman what to do with any medical procedure involving her body.”

        Wilson faces a bevy of Republican candidates who represent far right views. The Jefferson Parish Democrats hosted him earlier this year on our Jeff Talk Facebook Livestream show. You can find our interview with Wilson at https://fb.watch/lU06gmo8-p/?mibextid=v7YzmG

         Wilson said on Jeff Talk: “I’m running for governor because the state needs the kind of leadership that I can bring to the table, not just what I’m talking about -- but what I’ve done.”

         Members of the Jefferson Parish Democratic Executive Committee agree -- unanimously. We heartily recommend Shawn Wilson for governor of Louisiana.