Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Stephen Waguespack joined WWL’s Newell Normand for an exclusive interview.
“I think the people of Louisiana are desperately looking for a little injection in confidence and hope that Louisiana can stop dancing around our problems and start rolling up our sleeves and fixing some of them,” Waguespack, a Republican, told Normand.
He said some of the key issues that need to be addressed by the next governor include crime, the state’s workforce and education.
With incumbent Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards reaching term limits, the pool of candidates for the November 2023 election is wide open. A primary will be held in October.
Per Ballotpedia, Waguespack is running against Republicans Sharon Hewitt, Xan John, Attorney General Jeff Landry, Richard Nelson and John Schroder as well as independent Hunter Lundy and Democrats Daniel Cole and Shawn Wilson. There is an Aug. 10 filing deadline.
Waguespack describes himself as a lifelong Republican and as a Christian on his website. He was born and raised in Gonzales, La. After graduating from Louisiana State University and earning a law degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., he worked on Capitol Hill.
“I also spent five years as a senior official for former Governor Bobby Jindal and ten years as the CEO of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry fighting for jobs and economic growth,” he said. “I believe in free markets, individual liberties, personal responsibility and the power of family.”
With his experience, Waguespack told Normand that he has a unique understanding of different key groups in the state.
“I think I can figure out what are the commonalities that businesses and families are both looking for. And there’s a lot that unites us more than we realize,” he said. “I mean, every business I talk to, they just want... they want young adults they can hire, they can read and write and stay off drugs and have good soft skills and show up to work on time and not quit after three weeks. That’s why every family wants too.”
Listen to the candidate’s full conversation with Normand here.
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