30 year-old LSPC candidate Davante Lewis has District 3 incumbent Lambert Boissiere III by the tail. Lewis has been successfully bringing his message for clean, affordable and reliable utilities to every town and village in the 10 parish region and it’s paying off. Voters who are disgusted with current policies are climbing on-board Lewis’ campaign. Third-place finisher Rev. Gregory Manning who shares Lewis’ philosophy, endorsed him on Monday, November 28 in front of Entergy’s corporate headquarters.
“This race is about giving power back to the people,” said Manning, “power that Entergy and the current Commissioner are trying to take away for their own greed. To protect Entergy’s shareholders, they’re letting our grid crumble and our bills continue to rise rather than strengthening our infrastructure and transitioning to renewables.
I ran for Public Service Commissioner because the people of Louisiana need change. We spend the most time in power outages, face one of the highest cost burdens for electricity in the country, and are some of the most vulnerable to climate change. That’s why I’ve worked for years to fight utility corruption and build clean energy infrastructure in our communities and it’s why residents of all backgrounds joined our grassroots campaign for change. Today, we have the power to transform our utility system by electing Davante Lewis,” Manning explained.
Manning went on to say Lewis has the bold, new solutions that are needed to rebuild Louisiana’s energy future. It’s never good for the major industries regulated by the LPSC when an establishment three-term incumbent like Boissiere is forced into a run-off by a much younger challenger with fresh ideas that would benefit the ratepayers rather than big business. That’s exactly what Lewis did without accepting one penny from any person or company who does business with the LPSC. It’s David and Goliath all over again.
“I believe our Public Service Commissioners should be accountable to the people who are fighting for the transformation of our utility system and the people whose future depends on it, not the people who are fighting for the status quo. A majority of voters in the general election made it clear that they were ready for change. We know the status quo hasn’t been working, which is why we’re building a grassroots movement to ensure that Entergy and Cleco can’t buy another 6 years of inaction from the Public Service Commission,” Lewis explained.
In the December 8 election, Boissiere ran first with 43 percent of the vote followed by Lewis. In that contest Boissiere spent nearly $400,000 much of which came from Entergy, utility companies, lawyers, and other entities governed by the LPSC. Lewis has been living up to his pledge to not accept donations from industries he will regulate.
Lewis made it to the runoff by campaigning on progressive policies that brought together a broad coalition of supporters including Voters Organized to Educate and the Forum for Equality PAC. Lewis’ progressive policies to make Louisiana’ utilities affordable and reliable include a Ratepayers’ Bill of Rights, ending utility shutoffs, investing in renewable energy and green jobs, and tackling corruption. Learn more about Lewis at davanteforla.com
