Meet the candidates for La. governor: Wilson and Lundy

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - We’re just a little over a week away from the Oct. 14 election, where people will vote for who they want to run the state as Louisiana’s next governor.

This week 7NEWS is profiling the top six candidates, Jeff Landry, Shawn Wilson, Stephen Waguespack, John Schroder, Hunter Lundy and Sharon Hewitt. Tonight we’re hearing from Wilson and Lundy, the only Democrat and Independent candidates.

Early voting for the Oct. 14 election is underway through Saturday, Oct. 7. For more election coverage, CLICK HERE.

Shawn Wilson is the governor’s race lone Democratic candidate. He spent 25 years in public service, and in March, retired from his position as secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development for more than seven years.

“Public service has been my ministry,” Wilson said. “I understand the value of what government can do. I’ve got an undergraduate in planning and a Ph.D. in public policy. The reality is, we’ve got four things we need to work for, and that’s what I’m committed to doing as governor.”

Wilson said his campaign targets what he calls ‘kitchen table’ issues. He said he’ll focus on making Louisianians safer, smarter, healthier and wealthier.

“Safer in terms that we’re making sure your property is protected, and your life is protected,” Wilson said. “Making sure that we have a workforce that’s trained and educated from zero to four and fully funding childhood education. Making sure that we maintain Medicaid expansion, so that people can be healthy, and of course, you can’t be a wealthy person if you don’t earn. So, those three things of being safer, smarter, and healthier absolutely translate to us being a wealthier state.”

Lake Charles attorney Hunter Lundy owned his own firm for 36 years before deciding to run for governor. He’s running as an Independent.

“I’m going in as a leader, as someone who is a good advocate, as someone who is not beholden of anybody to any political party whatsoever,” he said.

Lundy said he’s committed to increasing teacher and first responder pay, as well as improving education he feels will benefit several of the state’s dilemmas.

“We’re going to attack poverty,” Lundy said. “We’re going to reduce the blighted communities we have throughout the state, and we’re going to reduce incarceration. Education and incarceration go hand in hand. Literacy and incarceration go hand in hand. 80 percent of people who are incarcerated are getting back in the community, so they need to be able to go, and they need to be able to read, write and have a GED, have a trade and be productive citizens. So, I’ve always said in the beginning, being the number two poverty state in the nation; we have some of the highest incarceration rates, that we could use our education to do that.”

For our interviews with Landry and Waguespack, CLICK HERE.

We will hear from Schroder and Hewitt on 7NEWS Nightcast on Wednesday.

Copyright 2023 KPLC. All rights reserved.