Election Notes 2018: Perkins, Tyler nab endorsements for Shreveport mayor

AFL-CIO affiliate endorses Tyler

The Central Trades and Labor Council of Shreveport and Vicinity has announced its endorsement of Ollie Tyler for Shreveport mayor. Tyler is the incumbent mayor.

The council, an affiliate of the nation AFL-CIO, made its announcement on Monday, Nov. 26.

The council serves union members in Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, Desoto, Jackson, Red River and Webster parishes. It is also affiliated with the national and international American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, according to a news release.

Shreveport Police Officer's Association endorses Perkins

The Shreveport Police Officer's Association has endorsed Adrian Perkins for mayor. The endorsement came following a secret ballot election Nov. 19-20. The vote percentages were as follows, according to the association:

• Adrian Perkins 80 percent.
• Ollie Tyler 7 percent.
• Abstain 13 percent.

A total of 140 members voted, said the organization's president Sgt. Michael Carter.

Jerry Bowman endorses Perkins for mayor

City Councilman Jerry Bowman Jr. has endorsed Adrian Perkins for Shreveport mayor.

"His leadership and vision for the city is exciting news for us all," Bowman said in a news release.

Perkins has been endorsed by three city councilmen: Bowman, Oliver Jenkins and Willie Bradford. Perkins has also been endorsed by three Caddo Parish commissioners: Jerald Bowman, Stormy Gage-Watts and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Bossier/Webster district attorney endorses Johnson

26th Judicial District Attorney Schuyler Marvin has endorsed U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson in his bid for re-election to the Louisiana 4th District of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"I am proud to enthusiastically endorse Mike Johnson’s reelection," Marvin said. "In his short time serving Northwest Louisiana he has become a leader and has worked tirelessly to back our military and to help us fight criminals and protect victims."

Johnson, a Republican, is seeking his second term. His opponent is Ryan Trumble, a Democrat.

Working Families Party endorses Steven Jackson

The Working Families Party has endorsed Steven Jackson for Shreveport mayor.

The national organization and minor political party that champions progressive ideals said that Jackson's support for "good jobs and higher wages, immigrants' rights and criminal justice reform" led to the endorsement.

“Commissioner Steven Jackson is an inspiring progressive leader who is putting forward a platform to ensure Shreveport works for all Shreveporters,” Joe Dinkin, spokesman for the Working Families Party, said in a news release.

The Working Families Party has endorsed other candidates such as Georgia's Stacey Abrams and Florida's Andrew Gilliam.

Everson endorses Fuller for City Council District B

Shreveport City Councilman Jeff Everson has endorsed LeVette Fuller in the District B race for Council.

"There are a number of great candidates," Everson said. "But I think LeVette really represents the diverse interests of the district."

Everson will leave the council this year after reaching his term limit.

Louisiana Association of Educators and Caddo Association of Educators endorse Cooner for school board

The Louisiana Association of Educators (LAE) and Caddo Association of Educators (CAE) have endorsed District 8 candidate Sumer Cooner for Caddo Parish School Board.

“CAE supports Sumer because she is a very involved mother with children in our public schools. She will be actively involved in schools and listening to and supporting school employees," said Emma Shepard, LAE board of directors and retired president. "Our students deserve the best.”

Willie Bradford endorses Adrian Perkins for Shreveport mayor

Shreveport City Councilman Willie Bradford has endorsed Adrian Perkins for mayor.

In an op-ed column submitted to The Shreveport Times, Bradford said Perkins' experience as a military officer and his connection to a national network as a graduate of Harvard Law School have equipped him well to serve Shreveport.

"Adrian Perkins has the potential to be a rising political star nationally," Bradford wrote. "Electing Adrian is not the city’s panacea. He is the first to tell you he has a lot growing to do. And it would be our job as a city to help him reach his best potential. But when you draft the number one quarterback out of college, you don’t sit him on the bench. You give him the starting job."

Perkins is one of eight candidates seeking the mayor's job in the Nov. 6 election.

Caddo DA: vote 'yes' on unanimous jury amendment

Caddo Parish District Attorney James E. Stewart Sr. announced Wednesday that he supports Constitutional Amendment 2, the ballot initiative that would require unanimous jury verdicts in felony criminal trials in Louisiana.

Louisiana now permits convictions if 10 of 12 jurors vote for conviction. The only other state that permits non-unanimous jury verdicts is Oregon.

Louisiana's law has its roots in the late 19th century and was enacted as a Jim Crow-era measure to limit the rights of black citizens.

"We have the opportunity to be on the right side of history and align our state with the 48 other states that require a unanimous jury verdict for criminal convictions," said Stewart, who also is a retired state district and appeals court judge. "The time to correct this anomaly is now."

Stewart noted that Louisiana already requires unanimous verdicts to convict for offenses tried before six-person juries and for capital cases tried before 12-person juries.

Amendment 2 has won support across the political spectrum, although the Louisiana District Attorneys Association has not offered an opinion because of disagreement among its members.

"Though opponents to this needed change suggest that it will be more difficult to obtain convictions, I am fully confident that our citizenry will abide by the law in fulfilling their duty as jurors," Stewart said. "Fear of change should not be the enemy of doing what is right. I support passage of Amendment 2 and ask you to join me in voting 'yes' on November 6."

Caddo Commissioner Middleton endorses Taliaferro for mayor

Caddo Parish Commissioner Mike Middleton has endorsed Shreveport mayoral hopeful Jim Taliaferro, according to a social media post from the Taliaferro campaign.

Middleton represents District 8, which is in the southern part of the parish near the Red River.

"Jim Taliaferro is exactly the kind of proven leader we need to turn our city around. His leadership and integrity have been demonstrated in the military, law enforcement, Crime Stoppers and more. I'm asking voters in my district and across Shreveport to vote Jim for Mayor," the post reads.

Sen. Barrow endorses amendments, fantasy sports referendum

Louisiana State Sen. Barrow Peacock, R-Bossier City, has recommended a "yes" vote on all state constitutional amendments that will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot:

• Amendment 1 to bar people convicted of a felony from running for or being appointed to elective office for five years after completing their sentences.
• Amendment 2 to require a unanimous jury vote for a criminal conviction or acquittal.
• Amendment 3 to permit governmental entities to loan each other the use of equipment or personnel without compensation.
• Amendment 4 to bar the Louisiana State Police from receiving gas or other fuel taxes for traffic control purposes.
• Amendment 5 to extend special property tax exemptions already given to certain groups of taxpayers if their property is placed in a trust and the owner is still living there.
• Amendment 6 to phase in property tax increases over four years when property assessments increase by more than 50 percent.

Peacock said he also supports the "Louisiana Fantasy Sports Contests" referendum. It would permit playing fantasy sports for money in any parish where voters approve.

'We the People' to host secretary of state candidate

A.G. Crowe, a candidate for Louisiana secretary of state, will speak to We the People of Northwest Louisiana on Tuesday, Oct. 23.

The meeting will occur at 5:30 p.m. in the Carlisle Auditorium in Mickle Hall at Centenary College, 2911 Centenary Blvd.

Crowe is a former member of the St. Tammany Parish School Board and a former state representative and senator.

We the People is a conservative tea party group founded in 2009.

Questions? Contact Brenda O'Brock at (318) 469-0957.

Forum for Shreveport mayor hopefuls to focus on racism

A forum for candidates to be the next mayor of Shreveport will occur on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Centenary College.

The event will start with a candidate meet-and-greet at 6 p.m., followed by the forum at 6:30 p.m., in the college's Whited Room.

The forum, entitled “Race and the City,” will focus on institutional racism in Shreveport and ask the candidates to share their plans for combating the challenges presented by institutional racism in four broad areas: the economy, education, health care and criminal justice.

John Ratcliff and Niketa Williams will serve as moderators.

The forum is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. A live stream of the forum will be available at centenary.edu/raceandthecity. 

The event is sponsored by Centenary College, Together We Win Network, the League of Women Voters and the YWCA of Northwest Louisiana.

Forum set for Caddo School Board candidates

The Broadmoor Neighborhood Association will host a public forum Thursday, Oct. 18, for candidates on the Nov. 6 ballot competing for the District 8 seat on the Caddo Parish School Board.

Candidates Denee Locke and Sumer Cooner will answer questions from BNA officers and members of the audience, the association said in a news release. Former BNA President Rob Broussard will moderate.

The BNA meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at Broadmoor Presbyterian Church, 1915 Grover Place. For more information contact BNA President Bonita Crawford at (318) 423-5010 or email bonniec222@aol.com.

Caddo commissioner endorses Steven Jackson for Shreveport mayor

Caddo Parish Commissioner Matthew Linn has endorsed fellow commissioner Steven Jackson for Shreveport mayor.

In a letter to The Times, Linn credited Jackson for balancing fiscal responsibility with promoting progressive causes such as universal, free pre-K education for all Caddo students. Linn also said he trusts Jackson most among all candidates for mayor to address crime in the city.

"He is smart, capable, respectful and pragmatic," Linn said of Jackson. "He builds consensus around good ideas.  He can and does get big things done. He knows our government from the inside, but remains an independent outsider — who owes no allegiance to large donors or machine politicians."

Jackson, a first-term parish commissioner, is one of eight candidates for mayor in the Nov. 6 election.

More:The candidates for Shreveport mayor address the top issues of 2018

Louisiana black law makers endorse unanimous jury verdicts ballot measure

Louisiana's Legislative Black Caucus has endorsed the ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to require unanimous jury verdicts in all criminal trials.

The measure, called Amendment 2 on the Nov. 6 ballot, would eliminate a vestige of discrimination and restore justice if enacted, the black caucus said in a statement this week.

"By passing Amendment 2 requiring unanimous jury verdicts in every case, we can hold prosecutors accountable to the standard of reasonable doubt and protect the rights of every person guaranteed to us in the Constitution," the black cause said in a statement.

The Legislative Black Caucus is made up of African American state lawmakers.

Recommendations: Louisiana constitutional amendments

The Council for a Better Louisiana has offered its voter recommendations on the six proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution that will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Amendment 1 to bar people convicted of a felony from running for or being appointed to elective office for five years after completing their sentences. Recommendation: Support.

Amendment 2 to require a unanimous jury vote for a criminal conviction or acquittal. Louisiana today requires 10 votes to convict or acquit. Louisiana is one of two states that do not require unanimous verdicts. The other state, Oregon, does require them in murder trials. Recommendation: Support.

Amendment 3 to permit governmental entities to loan each other the use of equipment or personnel without compensation. Would apply only to local governments such as parishes, municipalities and service districts. Would not apply to state government. Recommendation: Support.

Amendment 4 to bar the Louisiana State Police from receiving gas or other fuel taxes for traffic control purposes. If approved, the amendment would bar the state Legislature from using fuel tax revenue for state police activities rather than road construction. Recommendation: Support.

Amendment 5 to extend special property tax exemptions already given to certain groups of taxpayers if their property is placed in a trust and the owner is still living there. Among those for whom the amendment would extend exemption are senior citizens, disabled military veterans and surviving spouses of veterans and first-responders who were killed in the line of duty. Recommendation: Support.

Amendment 6 to phase in property tax increases over four years when property assessments increase by more than 50 percent. This change would not apply to increases due that result from new construction, improvements or the sale of a property. Recommendation: Support.

State Rep. Alan Seabaugh endorses Taliaferro for mayor

Louisiana State Rep. Alan Seabaugh of Shreveport has endorsed Jim Taliaferro for mayor.

Seabaugh's endorsement appeared in a Sept. 25 Facebook post.

Seabaugh represents District 5 in the Louisiana House of Representatives. District 5 includes southern Caddo Parish. Like Taliaferro, he is a Republican.

From Seabaugh's statement: "In this critical election for our city, we must unite behind the best candidate for Mayor. That candidate must have the reputation to win and the integrity to do right by the people. Jim Taliaferro will be the mayor we can trust and the candidate who can deliver victory for the hard-working men and women of Shreveport. I’m asking voters in my district and across our great city to unite to win with Jim Taliaferro for Mayor."

Taliaferro is one of eight remaining candidates for Shreveport mayor.

School board, city council candidate night set for Oct. 11

A candidate forum for candidates seeking seats on the Shreveport City Council and Caddo Parish School Board has been set for Thursday, Oct. 11.

The even is sponsored by Northern and Central Louisiana Interfaith from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Mount Canaan Baptist Church, 1666 Alston St. in Shreveport.

The event sponsor is billing the event as an "accountability night." Interfaith representatives will question candidates on its priority issues: industrial property tax exemptions, workforce development, neighborhood safety and encouraging Caddo schools to provide universal pre-kindergarten education for all children.

Interfaith is a non-partisan coalition of churches. It does not endorse individual candidates.

Questions? Call Susan Caldwell at (318) 465-3427 or Maxine Davis at (318) 754-1372.

District D city council forum set for Sept. 25

The four candidates vying to represent District D on the Shreveport City Council will participate in a forum Tuesday, Sept. 25.

KEEL Radio host Erin McCarty will moderate the event. Each candidate will have answer questions from the moderator as well as a few questions from the audience.

The forum will be held at Grace Community Church, 9400 Ellerbe Road. The candidates in race are: Grayson Boucher and Joey Hester, both Republicans, Versa "V.O." Clark, a Democrat, and Keith Hanson, who listed no party affiliation.

Shreveport mayor candidates expected for Sept. 20 forum

Candidates for mayor of Shreveport are to attend a forum Thursday, Sept. 20, sponsored by the Broadmoor Neighborhood Association of Shreveport.

The forum will begin at 6 p.m.  Attorney Dhu Thompson will moderate.

Rob Broussard, BNA president, said the association board will pose questions and entertain questions from the audience.

At the meeting BNA will also elect its officers for the next two years.

The meeting will be at Broadmoor Presbyterian Church, 1915 Grover Place.  For more information contact Broussard at 318-655-3545 or email 3boysnblaze@bellsouth.net.

Shreveport council, Caddo schools candidate forum set for Tuesday

A forum for candidates seeking seats on the Shreveport City Council and Caddo Parish School Board will be held Tuesday, Sept. 18.

The forum, sponsored by the Women's Democratic Club of Northwest Louisiana, will be in the Highland Center, 520 Olive St. in Shreveport.

Doors will open at 6 p.m., with light snacks provided and the opportunity to interact with candidates.

The city council forum be up first, at 6:30 p.m., followed by the school board forum. The sponsor's political committee chairwoman, Madison Poche, will serve as moderator.

Candidates for all city council and school districts have been invited. The sponsor more than 20 are expected to attend.

The event is free and open to the public.

HRA/Heliopolis to host District B candidate forum 

The Highland Restoration Association and Heliopolis Magazine will host a public forum for City Council District B candidates on Thursday, Sept. 20.

The forum will be held at 6 p.m. at Fairfield Studios, 1508 Fairfield Ave. in Shreveport, and is free and open to the public. All five candidates — James G. Carstensen, LeVette Fuller, Craig B. Lee, Laura McLemore and Wendy Vance — have confirmed their attendance.

Organizers hope this will be an opportunity for candidates to connect with Highland residents on issues impacting the neighborhood.

“Crime, property neglect and deteriorating infrastructure are key issues impacting our historic neighborhood,” said Michele Marcotte, president of Highland Restoration Association. “This forum is a chance for residents to hear what candidates have to say about these topics and more.”

Each candidate will have an opportunity to introduce themselves and will then be asked a series of pre-submitted questions from residents, business owners and other stakeholders on issues impacting Highland. Members of the public are encouraged to submit their questions online at heliopolis.la/election or via email to heliopolissbc@gmail.com.

The forum will be moderated by HRA member and Heliopolis contributor Madison Poche and live streamed on the Heliopolis Page on Facebook (facebook.com/heliopolissbc).Parking is available on the 1500 block of Fairfield Avenue. Additional parking can be found in the lot on the corner of Fairfield Avenue and Jordan Street, as well as the lot at the corner of Fairfield Avenue and Jacobs Street.

PACE to hold mayoral candidate forum Sunday

People Acting for Change and Equality (PACE), an LGBT advocacy group, will hold a mayoral forum Sunday, Aug. 19.

Seven of the eight candidates have said they will attend: Anna Marie Arpino, Tremecius Dixon, Steven Jackson, Adrian Perkins, Jeron Rogers, Lee O. Savage and Ollie Tyler, the current mayor. Candidate Jim Taliaferro has a prior commitment and will not attend.

The forum will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Deaf Action Center, 601 Jordan St. A reception will follow the question-and-answer session.

Clayton Critcher, a Shreveport native and University of California Haas School of Business faculty member, will moderate the forum.

PACE will not endorse a candidate, according to a post on its Facebook page.

Chamber schedules 3 mayoral candidate forums

Three more forums for the candidates for Shreveport mayor have been scheduled.

The forums will be held on successive nights in October, each focused on a different topic. The Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce is sponsor.

The forum dates, topics and locations:

• Tuesday, Oct. 16, focus on leadership, at 6:30 p.m. in the University Theatre at Louisiana State University-Shreveport.
• Wednesday, Oct. 17, focus on city operations and administration, at 6:30 p.m. in Anderson Auditorium at Centenary College.
• Thursday, Oct. 18, focus on city finance, in Jackson Hall at Southern University.

Attendance is free, but registration is required due to limited seating. To register, visit shreveportchamber.org and click on "Your Shreveport. Your Vote."

City Council District D candidate withdraws

Dana Cawthon, a city council candidate in District D, withdrew from the race, citing a conflict with her current job.

Cawthon made the announcement Aug.8 on Facebook.

"It is with great sorrow that I will be withdrawing from the Shreveport City Council. I am proud to be the Regional Director for the Louisiana Small Business Development Center in North Louisiana,"  a portion of the post reads. "There is nothing that will prevent me from giving 100% to fostering an environment that supports entrepreneurs and existing business owners. Even though I am a state educational institution employee, my salary is being paid with federal dollars which excludes me from running for an elected position."

Grayson Boucher, Joey Hester, Versa "V.O." Clark and Keith Hanson are still on the ballot.

City Council District C forum set for Aug. 16

The Broadmoor Neighborhood Association will hold a public forum for District C City Council candidates.

The forum will be held at Broadmoor Presbyterian Church, 1915 Grover Place, at 6 p.m.

The forum will feature questions posed by the BNA board and membership as well as questions from the audience, said BNA Vice President Bill Robertson in a news release.

Joseph H. Carstensen, Patrick Kirton and John Nickelson have qualified to run for the seat. Current council Oliver Jenkins is term-limited.

Mayoral Forum set for Monday, Aug. 6

A public mayoral forum will be held Aug. 6 at Southwood High School.

The forum will be hosted by the Southern Hills Business Association, the Southern Hills Homeowners Association and the League of Women Voters. 

Candidates who have committed to attending are: Anna Marie Arpino, Tremecius Dixon, Steven Jackson, Adrian Perkins, Jeron Rogers, Lee O. Savage, Jim Taliaferro and current Mayor Ollie Tyler.

The meet-and-greet begins at 5:30 p.m. The forum begins at 6:30 p.m. and is expected to end at 9 p.m.

District B City Council lunch forum scheduled

A lunch forum for the candidates seeking to represent District B in Shreveport's City Council is set to take place later this month.

The Petroleum Club of Shreveport and Downtown Shreveport Development Corporation are hosting the event at the Petroleum Club (415 Travis St.), Aug. 29.

Tickets are $18.50 and can be purchased online. All five candidates are slated to appear.

The following are the candidates for City Council District B:

• James G. Carstensen, Libertarian
• LeVette Fuller, Democrat
• Craig B. Lee, Independent
• Laura McLemore, Democrat
• Wendy Vance, Republican

Smith, Krefft endorse Taliaferro

Two former mayoral hopefuls offered their endorsements of Jim Taliaferro this week. Taliaferro, a Republican, is a former police officer and the recently retired civilian leader of the Shreveport/Caddo Parish Crime Stoppers program.

Ray Smith and Kenneth Krefft both endorsed Taliaferro. Smith cited Taliaferro's law enforcement experience as the primary reason he offered his endorsement.

"There is one candidate in the race for Mayor with the experience needed to address Shreveport’s crime problem. He is a man of integrity who has served our nation and community with honor. Jim Taliaferro stands out in the field as the only candidate who can turn our city around," Smith wrote in a Facebook post August 1.

Smith announced July 17 that he would not enter the mayor's race. 

"I'm grateful for the endorsement of the only other law enforcement candidate to have entered the race. Thank you Ray," Taliaferro wrote in a Facebook post.

Krefft, who dropped out of the race shortly after qualifying, cited Taliaferro's law enforcement experience and willingness to embrace important infrastructure projects as the primary reasons that he offered his endorsement.

"He's smart," Krefft said of Taliaferro.

Young drops from Mayor's race

John Paul-Young has announced that he will withdraw from Shreveport's mayoral race. Young, who says his name will not appear on November's ballot, endorsed candidate Steven Jackson during a joint press conference July 29.

Young and members of his campaign will serve as advisers to Jackson's campaign, Jackson said. 

"He is a Caddo commissioner right now and has an impressive record of public service and commitment to our community that I think is unmatched by any other candidate in the field," Young said in his endorsement of Jackson.

Krefft drops from mayor's race

Kenneth J. Krefft has announced that he will withdraw from Shreveport's mayoral race. Krefft, 70, was one of 10 people initially to file paperwork to enter the race.

Krefft told The Times on July 26 that he was withdrawing because he's seeking a position with the Overton Brooks Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Shreveport. Being on the ballot, he said, would prevent him from taking the VA position if chosen.

He said he had filled out the state paperwork and dropped it off at a Shreveport post office Thursday afternoon, he said.

Krefft said he will endorse another candidate who values infrastructure improvements as a major platform plank.

"I'm looking for somebody to embrace infrastructure," he said. "Maybe not as their number one (priority) but maybe their number two."

More:The candidates for Shreveport mayor address the top issues of 2018

Demery endorses Savage

Rod Demery, the well-known Shreveport detective and television host, announced July 20 that he will support Shreveport mayoral candidate Lee O. Savage.

For a time, Demery, a Republican, was thought to be considering running for mayor himself.

Demery is no longer working with the Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office, District Attorney James Stewart Sr., confirmed in an email. Previous attempts to contact Demery regarding his departure were not returned.