Add state Sen. Mack “Bodi” White Jr. to the growing list of people who have been approached about running for mayor of Baton Rouge.
White, a Republican from Central, tells Daily Report that a group of businessmen have urged him to consider running. He says he has not made a decision yet and wants to focus his energy right now on his duties as part of the Senate Finance Committee charged with fixing the state’s budget during the special legislative session.
White says once the session ends, he will speak to his friends and family and possibly make a decision within the next 30 days, though that is not a concrete timeline. The special session ends March 9, and the regular session begins March 14.
White represents Senate District 6, which covers parts of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Helena parishes. Before becoming a senator, he served as the state representative for District 64 from 2004 to 2012.
“I would say I have pretty good name recognition,” White says.
White may seem like an odd choice to some, considering he helped St. George organizers in their quest to become a city separate from Baton Rouge and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. White says he only helped the organizers understand and exhaust their legal means to try to make St. George a reality. He says he has since been asked by some business owners to help heal the divide the ordeal caused.
So far, former legislator Sharon Weston Broome and Metro Councilman John Delgado have been the only people to announce their intention to run for mayor. Others, including attorney Marty Maley, former Metro Councilman Ulysses “Bones” Addison and former Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff Leduff, are said to be mulling a run.
Mayor Kip Holden is term-limited from running for re-election.
—Ryan Broussard
