Mayer ‘very seriously’ considering mayoral run

As he prepares to close his Baton Rouge fine clothing business, Jim Mayer says he is “very seriously” considering taking a run at Mayor Kip Holden in next year’s election. “I’ve been asked to run, I’ve had some very prominent people in the community put up some money, and now my wife and I are going through the process of deciding,” Mayer says. “It’s nothing to take lightly, because if I do this, I’ll do it 100%—and it’s something we’re looking at very seriously.” Mayer won’t name who is pushing him to run against two-time incumbent Holden, and says he has no timeline for making a decision. Mayer, 69, and his wife, Diane, are closing Mayer Co. Clothiers at the end of the year after 26 years in business on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard. Mayer relocated to Baton Rouge in the mid-1980s from Helena, Ark., where he served as president of the local school board, hospital board and county board of supervisors. Thus far, the only person to publicly announce a run against Holden is Gordon Mese, a newcomer to politics and owner of Garden District Nursery. Mayor Pro Tem Mike Walker, who is term-limited on the Metro Council, has begun raising campaign funds but says he hasn’t yet decided whether he’ll run for mayor or any other political office once his time on the council is up. Read a recent Business Report feature on Mayer here. —Steve Sanoski