Elbert Guillory of Opelousas says he was “born an underdog,” so his latest bid for elected office—this time for the new 6th Congressional District—should feel familiar.
Senate and Governmental Affairs Chair Cleo Fields of Baton Rouge is the favorite to replace Congressman Garret Graves and represent the new Black- and Democrat-majority district. Fields has clout, name recognition, a vaunted political organization and (most importantly) money.
How much? More than $640,000 on hand at the end of June, according to his latest campaign finance report. Guillory only started raising money this week and raised more than $10,000 on his first day, he said. His goal is $1.5 million.
A former state senator, Guillory’s last run for office was a bid for lieutenant governor in 2023, when he finished a distant third with 6% of the vote. But he still garnered more than 64,000 votes while only spending $50,000, he notes.
As a Black Republican, Guillory says he thinks he can get a fair hearing from minority voters who may be more skeptical of other conservative politicians. State GOP Chair Derek Babcock says he didn’t try to recruit a Black candidate, but acknowledged that it might help.
Heading into the weekend, Guillory appears to be on the cusp of securing the official state GOP endorsement by garnering the support of more than half of the party leaders in the district. Announcing the endorsement before qualifying starts next Wednesday could clear the field of other serious Republican candidates, if any happen to be lurking. Babcock also expects support from the national party, and potentially from former President Donald Trump as well.
Quinton Anthony Anderson, a small business owner who chairs a Baton Rouge-based nonprofit, is running as a Democrat. Community volunteer Kerry Williams plans to be in the mix as well, WAFB reports.
Fields’ main campaign issues will include the cost of living (including insurance), prescription prices and bringing home federal tax dollars to invest in infrastructure, according to a prepared statement from Roy Fletcher, the campaign’s media consultant.
“He’s going to have the resources to communicate with voters and run an aggressive campaign to ask for each and every vote,” Fletcher states. “We’re not focused on any race but our own.”
