While four candidates have qualified for this race, as of press time only one responded to our interview request or completed The New Orleans Tribune candidate profile form. State Senate District 3, currently occupied by term-limited state Sen. J.P. Morrell encompasses portions of Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard Parish.
Dr. Joseph “Joe” Bouie
Dr. Joseph “Joe” Bouie says he is the best person to represent Senate District 3 because of his experience in leadership roles as the chair of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus and as floor leader for Governor John Bel Edwards. His relationships with other legislators will allow him to not only hit the ground running but enable him to take the needs of District 3 to another level, he says, adding that he is independent, accountable and effective.
As a state representative, Bouie authored legislation to provide equal pay for women, supported legislation prohibiting workplace discrimination in the LGBTQ community, championed the return of schools to local control, advocated for eliminating construction of New Orleans schools on toxic sites, educated thousands of local social workers and change agents at the undergraduate and master’s level. He also has advocated for criminal justice reform, and co-founded the Orleans Parish Drug Treatment Court, which provides alternative sentencing and treatment versus incarceration.
If elected to serve in the state Senate, Bouie will continue to advocate for a living wage, education reform, and environmental safety. He will submit a bill for equal pay for women that applies to companies that do business with the state, he says.
Bouie believes Act 91, which “unified” public schools in Orleans Parish, is unconstitutional, and says he will work to amend the legislation to allow for local control and oversight of the charter school system. He would like to see the voucher system abolished and the money returned to the local school board so as to fund public education, he says.
Bouie is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Southern University at New Orleans, a master’s degree in social work from Tulane University, and his doctorate in education administration and planning from Clark Atlanta University. He has also completed post-doctoral work at Harvard University’s Institute for Education Management.
