Meet the candidates for La. governor: Schroder and Hewitt

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - How well do you know the candidates running for Louisiana 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 Schroder and Hewitt.

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

Republican John Schroder is the state’s current treasurer and has held the position for six years. He also served over nine years in the legislature.

“I enjoy service,” Schroder said. “I think it’s very important to serve your state, but I also think the state needs a CEO. I think someone needs to go run the operational side of this business and don’t care so much about the politics of everything.”

Schroder said he has a background in law enforcement and would use that experience to address crime by building trust with police and the public. He also said education is at the top of the list.

“We’re a poor state,” Schroder said. “We’re an unhealthy state. Out of 4.6 million people, 2 million on Medicaid, 900,000 on Medicare, so that number does not bear well when you start looking at a budget and expenses of the state. We’re heavy, heavy reliant on the government, so that needs to change. How do you do that? Education.”

Our final candidate of the top six is Republican Sharon Hewitt, a state senator who is finishing up her second term.

“I’m not a politician, but I’ve been there long enough to see what the opportunities are and the challenges, and I know how to build a team,” Hewitt said “I’m going to be the best candidate out of anybody in working with the legislature, so we have the executive branch and the legislative branch aligned on a shared vision.”

Hewitt said she wants to give families a reason to stay and plans to do that by growing the economy, working on major infrastructure projects, improving education, and reducing crime.

“I passed legislation this year that stiffened penalties for fentanyl dealers and those who have clandestine labs,” Hewitt said. “We’ve got to start respecting law enforcement, more boots on the ground, better pay, you know, better cooperation from agencies to address crime straight on. I think when we do those things, people are going to want to stay in Louisiana instead of leave.”

For our interviews with Landry and Waguespack, CLICK HERE.

For our interviews with Wilson and Lundy, CLICK HERE.

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