(The Center Square) — The District 2 commissioner’s position on Louisiana’s Public Service Commission is up for grabs in the Nov. 5 election.
The Public Service Commission regulates public utilities and public-service corporations, which provide services like electricity, water and transportation.
Three candidates, two Republicans and one Democrat, wish to represent the district that stretches directly south from West Feliciana Parish to the bottom of the boot in Terrebonne Parish.
Outgoing Commissioner Dr. Craig Greene was elected in 2017 to fill the remainder of the unexpired term held by former commissioner Scott Angelle, who resigned to accept a position in the federal government.
Greene, an orthopedic surgeon in Baton Rouge, served another term starting in 2018, but decided not to run for another term in June. He cited the example of his father, former state Sen. Thomas Greene, who served two terms in the state Senate.
“I look forward to spending more time doing what I love most, enjoying my family, and caring for my patients,” Greene said in a statement. “Louisiana is full of great, loving people, and I am confident they will find a great commissioner to serve as the next in line to take a turn.”
Currently, Republicans have a 3-2 majority on the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Greene held enormous power as a moderate swing voter, so the future seat holder can sway the commission even more Republican or in a different direction.
Although District 2 is largely white and Republican, the new majority-Black congressional District 6, which intersects with the commission District 2, could drive Democrat voter turnout.
The lone Democrat in this race, Nick Laborde, is a business consultant and product manager at his family’s company, NOLA Crawfish Bread. He previously worked as a video game developer and a human resources consultant.
As previously outlined in a story from The Center Square, his main goal is to hold utility companies like Entergy accountable.
Laborde also wants to bolster the grid while making utilities pay more instead of raising consumer bills. This includes diversifying power generation to make the Pelican State the “renewables leader of the South.”
Current Sen. Jean-Paul Coussan, R-Lafayette, is the favorite based on campaign finances and was elected to represent District 45 back in 2019. He’s the chairman for the Natural Resources and Environment Committee and a member of the Joint Capital Outlay Committee.
Coussan received a little over $114,000 in campaign contributions since the last report in early October according to the Elections Commission.
In contrast, Julie Quinn received $25,000 in that time span, and Laborde has still reported no campaign receipts. Quinn is the other Republican candidate and has also served in the state Senate.
She represented District 6 from 2005 to 2012 and currently works as an attorney advising businesses on employment matters, contracts, and litigation.
On her website the first three goals for Quinn are to protect consumer rates and pass-through spending, work towards Louisiana’s energy independence, and hold utility companies accountable for creating and maintaining a resilient grid.
“This seat will determine the path forward that the commission takes. Whether they embrace policies like the Green New Deal or they put additional taxes on consumers, that’s what this swing seat is going to do whether your rates stay low or not stay low,” Quinn told WAFB 9.
