With two people left competing for former Congressman Cedric Richmond’s seat, in a run-off with state Senators Troy Carter and Karen Carter Peterson, an important endorsement has arrived that may sway the race. Gary Chambers, who came in a very respectable third with 21% in the March special election, endorsed Sen. Peterson.
Sen. Peterson came in second with 23% to Sen. Carter’s 36%. With Chambers in the race, Sen. Peterson’s vote total in Orleans Parish was arguably split considering both she and Chambers were vying for the same vote. Even with Chambers in the race in the special primary election, Sen. Peterson outperformed in the River Parishes. While Sen. Carter benefited from the vote-split in the primary election in Orleans Parish, now with just Sen. Peterson and Sen. Carter in the race, Chambers’ endorsement will inevitably alter the race in Sen. Peterson’s favor.
Chambers, a Baton Rouge activist, announced his endorsement on Instagram writing, “Today I’m endorsing Karen Carter Peterson. I didn’t get to this decision to endorse Karen (@teamkcp) without a lot of thought and many difficult conversations.” He added, “This work is bigger than me, my ego, or my desires. This work is about changing lives, and if we stay at home or I don’t endorse that means the issues we stand for aren’t a priority.”
Giving a nod to progressives he praised her endorsement of Medicare for All, a $15 Minimum wage, and the Green New Deal.
Chambers also wrote, “We have to vote for someone, so let it be the person who will fight for the things we are fighting for. I’m asking you to join me in sending the first Black woman from the state of Louisiana to Congress.”
In his Instagram video Chambers said, “Let me tell you, in the beginning, I was not going to make an endorsement at all. I was going to stay out of it and let the politicians determine which one of them fought the hardest to win your support.” Chambers continued, “But I woke up this week, Thursday morning with a conviction that if I sat on the sidelines and made no endorsement, that I’m no different than all the people in national progressive organizations who said that, ‘Gary Can’t win. He’s from Baton Rouge. He’s not from New Orleans…” He added, “It’s about the community. It’s about the people we fight for. The communities we love. The change that we want to see happen.”
Chambers said of Peterson, “She’s not perfect and she’s not me. But she is a progressive fighter, who will go to DC and champion the issues that are important to us.” He also said, “But what I believe is we have a choice to make between two career politicians, two people who have given their lives to public service, and who has pissed a lot of people off. Kind of like me.”
Chambers concluded his video by saying, “They counted me out, and they’re probably counting her out. But together we can be a force. Let’s go to work, ya’ll.”
I’m a fighter, so naturally I’m supporting the other fighter in the race.
While this decision was hard to put my support behind someone else so fast, I went with my convictions and the candidate who will fight with conviction — Karen Carter Peterson. pic.twitter.com/J9fcGKmsDO
— Gary Chambers (@GaryChambersJr) March 29, 2021
