At a lunchtime forum, Baton Rouge’s two mayoral candidates, Sharon Weston Broome and Mack “Bodi” White, vowed to work for a united Baton Rouge and promised to serve all segments of the community if elected.
But the candidates—an African-American Democrat from north Baton Rouge and a white Republican who was involved in the St. George incorporation effort two years ago—were short on specifics of how to unite the factions of the parish their candidacies have come to represent.
“I don’t want to see our city and parish divided anymore,” said Broome, adding she was “disappointed” in White for his involvement in the St. George effort. “It is a contradiction to talk about unity and then talk about dividing our city.”
Broome said she would reach out to community leaders across the parish and convene a twice yearly “dialogue on race.” She also said the next mayor has to demonstrate unity through leadership.
For his part, White said, “I, too, don’t want to see this parish divided. That’s why I ran. I couldn’t find a legislative solution.”
If elected, White said he would unite the parish by improving public schools.
“I’m going to work with the East Baton Rouge School System to bring (the system) up,” he said. “I’m tired of my friends leaving so their kids and grandkids can go to good schools.”
The familiar rhetoric and broad generalizations underscored just how difficult it will be for the next mayor to unite the racially and socio-economically divided city-parish—especially because the U.S. Justice Department is likely to finish its investigation into the July police shooting of Alton Sterling sometime early in the new mayoral administration, if not before.
When the investigation wraps up, White said the community needs to “sit down and work with each other.” He also said it will be up to the next mayor to let the Justice Department know the local community can solve its own problems without federal interference.
Broome said whatever decision is handed down, the city needs to build “a community infrastructure that will respond in a way that will declare next steps we can take to move this city forward.”
On a related topic, Broome said her pick for a new police chief would be an advocate of community policing and would not get “distracted from the internal workings of the department,” a pointed reference to the police union.
“I want a chief who will close the gap between law enforcement and the community,” she said.
White also said a police chief in his administration would work well with a variety of groups, and he promised to try to find money to give police officers a badly needed raise.
Earlier in the day, White picked up the endorsement of the Baton Rouge police union.
Both candidates also reiterated promises to address the area’s transportation and infrastructure woes, to the extent the city-parish government can, and to bring economic development to areas other than downtown. White said he wants to bring commerce and better mass transit to thoroughfares in north Baton Rouge, and believes that by improving public schools and cleaning up blight and crime, companies will be more attracted to the area.
Broome suggested, among other things, using the Aviation Business Park as a business incubator and distribution center for north Baton Rouge. She also promised to pursue a grocery store for the area.
In closing statements, both candidates struck a dramatic tone. White said he has spent a lifetime of service in East Baton Rouge Parish.
“No one will outwork me,” he said, his voice cracking. “Nobody understands this government more than I do.”
Broome then asked the audience to close their eyes and imagine the city’s next mayor.
“Who is the best person to articulate a need of the city or parish across all racial lines?” she said. “You’ve heard and listened to both of us. This election is going to define this city and this parish for years to come.”
—Stephanie Riegel
