After a year of preparation and campaigning online and through social media, Sharon Weston Broome formally announced her intention to become the next mayor of Baton Rouge.
Surrounded by her husband and family members, Broome said in a fiery 15-minute speech that she believes every journey starts with a single step and today’s step marks the start of another journey.
“I never aspired to the path of public service, but undoubtedly, I responded to the call,” Broome said. “So that is why after considerable thought, extensive conversations and much prayer, I am today formally announcing that I will indeed be a candidate for mayor-president for Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish.”
About 60 friends, family and supporters packed a small conference room at the Hilton Garden Inn, 3330 Harding Blvd., today for Broome’s announcement. Campaign staff lined seats on both sides of the room with campaign signs; her campaign manager, Kenneth Barnes, urged supporters to wave to signs throughout her speech.
Broome is a former Metro Council member and served from 1991 to 2016 in both the state House and Senate.
She touted her record on fighting for equal pay for women, fair treatment of domestic violence victims and more considerations for grandparents raising their grandchildren.
Broome also touched on several issues that would be the platform of her campaign, such as early childhood development through a cradle-to-K program, advocating recommendations made by the Capital Region Industry for Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions to fix traffic issues, working to address health care in north Baton Rouge and throughout the parish, and expanding the police force while deploying existing officers more strategically.
“The hallmark of community policing is that policing is tailored to the neighborhoods,” Broome said.
Broome announced she will hold listening sessions in the coming weeks to get feedback from the community to identify the biggest issues in East Baton Rouge Parish. Kali Johnson, a spokeswoman for Broome, said dates and times for those sessions soon will be announced.
Several local leaders of the faith-based and business communities were there, as well as state Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, and Metro Council members Tara Wicker and Donna Collins-Lewis.
“With your support and your help, we will win this election,” Broome said.
In an interview after her speech, Broome said her cradle-to-K initiative will feature several aspects, including education. She wants to meet with experts in the community, LSU and Southern University to get a better idea of what is needed to help children better flourish in Baton Rouge.
She says she will also look to hear from small business owners and entrepreneurs during her listening sessions to identify the obstacles they face and determine how city-parish ordinances and regulations could be tweaked to help those groups succeed.
Beside Broome, the only other person to formally announce a campaign is Metro Councilman John Delgado. Several other potential candidates are rumored to be either considering a campaign or have formed exploratory committees to gauge interest.
Mayor Kip Holden is term-limited from seeking another term after 2016, and has said he may run for U.S. Congress in the 2nd U.S. Congressional House District against Rep. Cedric Richmond.
—Ryan Broussard
