It’s the news Baton Rouge Metro Councilman John Delgado has been waiting to get off his chest.
“We need to have the vision to design our future and the will to create it. That’s why Stephanie and I are annoucing today that I am running to become Baton Rouge’s next Mayor-President,” said Delgado. “2016, we will elect a new leader for our parish. We will need someone who will fight for our future. I will be that leader. I will fight for you. I will fight for all of us.”
The Baton Rouge native and businessman is a lawyer by trade, and has served on the Metro Council for the past four years. Delgado said he knows there are a lot of issues facing the Capital City, and he is ready to take them on.
“So, the issue facing our community, would primiarily be an issue of public safety, creating jobs, and providing a great education for our children,” Delgado explained.
What are his chances of winning? Local 33 and Fox 44’s Political Analyst Jeremy Alford said they look pretty solid.
“Well we learned the worst-kept secret in Baton Rouge today that John Delgado is running for Mayor. He’s going to be a formidible candidate,” said Alford. “This is a guy who is in city office already, that’s going to allow him to leverage that position to raise money, to increase his profile with the media. So he’s in a good position to launch a run.”
Alford said the hard part starts now.
“He has to actually start campaigning. He has to build a team, and he has to start making promises, which he did in a very big way today. He came out of the gate promising 200 additional police officers making public safety his top priority,” Alford concluded.
As of late, Delgado is the third politician to annouce his candidacy, behind Senator Sharon Weston Broome and Former Metro Councilman Smokey Bourgeois.
The Republican Councilman Delgado said, right now, his focus is on North Baton Rouge, and getting his economic opportunity zone proposal passed at the next council meeting.
The council will vote on this item on January 13th. If you want to voice your concerns, it will be held at City Hall on 222 St. Louis St., Room 364. It starts at 4 P.M.