State Sen. Cleo Fields won Louisiana's 6th Congressional District race. At midnight Wednesday, Fields had 51% of the vote against fellow Democrat Quinten Anderson and former Opelousas Sen. Elbert Guillory with all precincts reporting, according to the Secretary of State's website.
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Fields is no stranger to D.C. He represented the state’s 4th Congressional District from 1993 to 1997.
In 1995, Fields ran for governor unsuccessfully and lost to Mike Foster. He did not seek reelection to his congressional seat in 1996.
Fields currently represents the state’s 14th Senate District and the 61-year-old chairs the Senate Governmental Affairs committee at the State Capitol.
A proponent of early childhood education, Fields says he wants every child to have the opportunity to attend Head Start. He says it’s vital to give children a strong foundation.
“I’ve tried to improve the educational system in our state, by passing a bill that made kindergarten mandatory. I do believe that we have to invest in early childhood education because I think that’s the future,” said Fields.
Fields believes the influx of juvenile crime is directly related to poor education. He says it’s better for everyone if we invest in children early in life to deter them from a life of crime.
“And then we have less kids committing crime. I do believe that. I do believe that there is a total nexus between education and incarceration. Give these kids an opportunity to be productive citizens in life.”
The seventh of 10 children, Fields says the death of his father at a young age inspired him to enter politics. He watched his mother struggle to raise him and his siblings on his own. He ran for office the first time at the age of 24.
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The newly drawn 6th Congressional District spans from Caddo to East Baton Rouge Parish and it includes portions of parishes in between. The district has a variety of needs ranging from farming to affordable housing.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will take up the challenge to Louisiana's newest congressional map, which established a majority-Black 6th Congressional District.
Arguments won't come until early next year. The Supreme Court order is just the latest step in a federal court battle that's lasted over two years.
This case won't affect this year's election. Earlier this year it was decided the current election would proceed under the challenged map, which hands a chance to the Democrats to retake the closely-divided U.S. House.
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