NOLA.com reports, Dr. Shawn Wilson, retired Louisiana transportation chief and a prominent figure in the US transportation sector, announced that he is a candidate for governor. “I’ve demonstrated an ability to work with folks with different ideas from mine and from a different party and find common ground,” Wilson told NOLA.com. He is likely to be the only Democrat in the race, and is considered an underdog by virtue of his party affiliation and race. (The current governor, John Bel Edwards, is the only Democrat to hold statewide office since 2007. Louisiana has not elected a Black person to statewide office since the Reconstruction Era.) So far, four Republicans and an independent have announced they will seek election.
NOLA.com also reports that Governor Edwards today endorsed Dr. Wilson’s candidacy, “saying the longtime transportation official will bridge partisan divides and has the government know-how to confront the state’s many challenges.” In a written statement, Edwards said Wilson’s ability to reach across the aisle made it possible to advance major state infrastructure projects. “He’s spent his career bringing people together to accomplish the most difficult tasks,” Edwards added.