FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 2, 2018

CONTACT: Allyson Sanders

allyson@lademo.org

(318) 464-2028

The Louisiana Democratic Party Announces Record Qualifying Season,
Trouncing LA GOP

BATON ROUGE, LA – Thursday, the Louisiana Democratic Party analyzed and reported candidate data, which shows more Democrats are running for office than Republicans in Louisiana.

The numbers show a wave of Democrats qualified for upcoming elections, especially on the local level. Using candidate data from the Secretary of State, the Louisiana Democratic Party determined it was a record qualifying season, with nearly 300 more Democrats running for office than Republicans. For every one Republican candidate, approximately five Democrats qualified. In over 300 elections, the Democratic candidate is unopposed.

“The numbers don’t lie,” Executive Director Stephen Handwerk said. “Democrats are thriving in Louisiana, particularly on the local level. A Democrat heads our great state, Democratic women lead our largest cities, and Democrats are running for office on every level. You can’t count us out in Louisiana; these numbers are the latest proof of that. Last year, the Louisiana Democratic Party made big investments in training and recruiting candidates in all areas of the state.  Wait ‘till you see what we do in 2019!”

In addition to over 1,000 Democratic candidates on the local level, the state party also fielded Democratic challengers to each Republican Congressman and the interim Secretary of State.

“When I stepped into my position as Chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party, my goal was to see Democrats running in each district and corner of Louisiana,” Sen. Karen Carter Peterson said. “Now, Democrats aren’t just running for office – they’re winning. If these numbers are an indication of what’s to come, I’m excited for the future of Democrats in Louisiana.”

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