Republican donors are urging East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner Dr. Beau Clark to run for mayor, but they’re unlikely to sway the up-and-coming politician.
“Since I became coroner people have been encouraging me to look at the race and it’s flattering,” Clark tells LaPolitics. “I’m honored. But I ran for coroner with a certain set of goals and I haven’t accomplished all of them. At this point I’m not interested, but I do not want to say no forever.”
Clark has made a splash on a number of issues by stepping outside of his normally-quiet elected position and into the media and political spotlight. He grabbed headlines locally for revealing the staggering number of heroin deaths in the region, and for calling for a review of related laws. This year he has had a hand in statewide policy in regard to sexual review examinations. He previously served as medical director for the state House of Representatives and the Department of Health and Hospitals’ Bureau of Emergency Medical Services.
—After stints in the House and Senate, Troy Hebert has found himself leading the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. He also had another role over the past two months: serving as legislative liaison for Gov. Bobby Jindal during one of the most contentious sessions in recent memory.
But Hebert may not be done with elected office, as he recently told LaPolitics during an interview in the shadow of the statue of Bienville—Louisiana’s relentless French period governor—inside Memorial Hall.
“Well, as commissioner of ATC I probably have one of the best appointed jobs in the state. I basically regulate fun for adults,” he said laughing. “We have a lot of thirsty people in this state. Although I have to admit, I did enjoy my time as an elected official. Having won five-for-five, I may have one more race left in me.”
Lawmakers say they enjoyed working with one of their own this session, but Hebert seemed to fill the role of political director more than legislative liaison, a description better suited for Revenue Secretary Tim Barfield’s role. The administration’s legislative team is said to have relied heavily on Hebert this session to determine what can work politically inside the rails, and he supposedly has the ear of the governor, earned for saying things that typically don’t want to be heard on the fourth floor.
“My focus is process, politics and personalities,” Hebert said. “Without knowing those, it’s difficult to pass policy. But I have to admit a lot of the lessons and maneuvers I learned over 20 years around here don’t work like they use to. Guess they’re a casualty of term limits.”
They said it: “(I’m) trying to keep the defecation from hitting the ventilation.” —Rep. Rob Shadoin, R-Ruston, during a debate over charter school funding.
Jeremy Alford publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter, or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
