U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise qualified for the 1st congressional district race Thursday, seeking his 4th term representing the New Orleans area. The state’s first congress member to hold the leadership post since Hale Boggs in 1971, Scalise says he’s now positioned to do more in Washington for his home state.
“I’ve always said I’m going to continue to fight for the Louisiana values that I share, and I’ve got seat at the leadership table now to help promote the things that are not just important for Louisiana, but to our country,” Scalise told the media covering qualifying at the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office. “Of course energy production is a big part of that, and of course that helps south Louisiana, but it helps our whole country.”
Scalise, who noted he’d just come from campaigning for fellow Republicans in Ohio, said in addition to the Whip’s duty to “carry water” for the GOP, he’ll continue to push for funding and awareness of the state’s problem of water carrying away the coastal soil of Louisiana.
“I don’t want some unelected bureaucrat in Washington telling Louisiana how to restore our coast, because we know how to restore our coast, and frankly it’s our top priority,” the Metairie congressman said.
So far, Scalise is facing just one challenger, Democrat Vinny Mendoza of Ponchatoula—an organic farmer.
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