GOP Endorses Candidates

The Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish has announced its first round of endorsements for the Nov. 8 election. The endorsements are for U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, Louisiana’s 1st Circuit Court of Appeal, and all but two of the school board seats where Republicans are running in the Central and East Baton Rouge Parish school systems.

Candidates receiving the Republican endorsement so far are:

•U. S. Senate – John Kennedy

•U. S. Congress – Garret Graves

•First Circuit Court of Appeal – Hunter Greene

•Central Community School Board District 4 – Kim Powers

•Central Community School Board District 7 – Jeannie Spell

•East Baton Rouge School Board District 1 – Mark Bellue

•East Baton Rouge School Board District 2 – Jill Dyason

•East Baton Rouge School Board District 5 – Mike Gaudet

•East Baton Rouge School Board District 9 – David Tatman

Local Republican Party chairman Woody Jenkins said all of those endorsed are outstanding conservatives who will speak out and make a difference, not just sit quietly and vote right some of the time.  “More than ever, we need conservative leaders in public office, and that’s what they are.”  The 

endorsement process is continuing and will now focus on races for Mayor, Police Chief, and City Council in Central and Zachary, City Judge in Zachary, and a few remaining school board races.

At the parish level, the Republican Party is governed by the Republican Parish Executive Committee, or PEC.  In this parish, it consists of 17 members with five elected at-large parishwide and 12 elected from each of the 12 Metro Council districts. The members of the PEC are elected at the time of the Presidential Primary.

The endorsement process for the parish Republican Party consists of investigating the backgrounds of the candidates, getting them to answer a lengthy series of questions, and a personal interview by the PEC as a whole.  Members of the PEC then vote by secret ballot on proposed endorsements.

The Republican Party Executive Committee has held two endorsement meetings so far in preparation for the Nov. 8 election.  Two more endorsement meetings are likely.

Here are notes on the candidates the Republican Party has endorsed:

U. S. Senator – John Kennedy

Sen. Kennedy is now completing his first six-year term in the Senate, after having replaced Sen. David Vitter in the 2016 election.  He previously served as State Treasurer.

Since his election to the Senate, Kennedy has been a solid conservative vote for virtually all Republican causes.  He has taken a national leadership role as a spokesmen for conservatives in the Senate.  His colorful quotes, which often make fun of Democrats, are widely viewed on Fox News and other national news channels.

A typical Kennedy quote: “Our country was founded by geniuses but is being run by idiots!”

Congressman Garret Graves

Now serving his fourth two-year term in the U. S. House from Baton Rouge and surrounding area, Garret Graves has been a reliable conservative vote in Congress.  He has served the people of the Sixth Congressional District during difficult times — from the 1,000-year flood of 2016 to the pandemic of 2020-2022.

If Republicans take control of the House next year, Graves is likely to be a committee chairman.  He is the ranking member of the Select Committee on Climate and the Subcommittee on Aviation of U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

A typical quote from Graves: “All of a sudden, the same folks who have pushed bad policies for two years say they will now solve the very problems they created.”

Circuit Court of Appeal

Hunter Greene

Hunter Greene served in the Louisiana House of Representatives for eight years and had a staunch conservative voting record.  In 2014, he was elected Family Court Judge and has established a reputation for fairness, justice, and following the law. He is both an attorney and a CPA.

A typical quote from Judge Greene: “The growing prison population may be a problem but it is a direct result of breaking the law. I would be in favor of building more jails as opposed to releasing more prisoners.”

Central School Board Dist. 4

Kim Powers

Kim Powers serves as advertising manager of the Central City News. She has two daughters in the Central School System. During the pandemic, she led parents’ efforts to end mask and vaccine mandates.  She also opposed rolling forward property taxes without a vote of the people. She was elected to an unexpired term on the Central School Board last year with 63 percent of the vote. She is considered the most conservative member of the board.

A typical quote from Kim Powers: “We have such a great community. We need to make sure our schools reflect our values. No tax increases without a vote of the people. No mandates from the state or federal government. I want to be an independent, conservative voice for

parents, students, and taxpayers.”

Central School Board Dist. 7

Jeannie Spell

Jeannie Spell taught American History and Geography in elementary school, pre-Algebra and Algebra I in the 8th and 9th grades, and Home Economics in high school. In business, she was a record-setting real estate agent with more than $40 million in sales.  She is the mother of three and grandmother of nine.  She favors traditional family values and excellence in education.  A conservative, she says she will hold the line on taxes and oppose political correctness and the WOKE culture.

A typical quote from Jeannie Spell: “The water is not going to clear up until you get the hogs out of the creek!” 

— John Kennedy