This voter education guide is published primarily as a resource and does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate or proposition by ANTIGRAVITY Magazine.
Welcome once again to your ANTIGRAVITY voter education guide for the February 7 election. On this ballot, you will be voting on a handful of state legislators.
We have published these guides since 2014—previously in collaboration with the New Orleans Harm Reduction Network and now under the ANTIGRAVITY banner. We utilized national media, local media, and social media. Our research included but was not limited to public records, campaign finance reports, court filings, and real estate records.
Despite lacking faith in politicians or the political order, we create this document as a way to dissect and map power. We do not offer endorsements, but we do provide summaries, as this is a resource designed to aid and alleviate the work for you, the reader. News relevant to this ballot will continue to break. We are but one resource, and we hope that you consult as many as possible before heading to the polls.
We suggest you bring a photo ID to the polls, but if you do not have one you can still cast a ballot by signing a voter affidavit which vouches for your identity. The secretary of state audits all voter affidavits after the election to ensure that you are who you say you are.
If you have a disability, you are entitled to receive assistance to cast your vote. If your assigned polling place is not accessible, report the issue to the ADA compliance officer at ada@sos.la.gov or 225-362-5113.
The makeup of the ballot, including texts of propositions, as well as information about how, where, and when to register and vote is based on information provided by the Louisiana secretary of state and the City of New Orleans website. For info on what your ballot looks like, as well as information about disability and voting, go to the SoS website, voterportal.sos.la.gov.
If you find that you cannot in good conscience cast a vote for a specific ballot measure, you are allowed to skip that ballot item. According to the secretary of state’s office, “A voter cannot cast a blank ballot; otherwise, they are free to vote for as many or as few races/questions as are on their ballot—from all of them to just one of them.”
This voter guide is offered without cost or sponsorship as a service to our beloved readers, but donations are accepted to help cover research fees and labor. A suggested donation of whatever your lifestyle considers $5 is appreciated. Payments can be made via Venmo or PayPal to @antigravitymag (all one word, no dashes). Please include “Voter Guide” or “VG” in the comment or memo.
While it seems far too soon to be having another election, that’s never stopped Louisiana politics before. This round we will be choosing a few more representatives in Baton Rouge: a state senator and two members of the House. History indicates that voter turnout in such an election will likely be low—in the middle of Mardi Gras no less—but each of us has the power to make a dent in beating those odds. So let’s dig into your ballot.
State Senator
3rd Senatorial District
“Kenn” Barnes (D)
Sidney J. Barthelemy II (D)
Jon Johnson (D)
Chad Lauga (D)
Arthur A. Morrell – withdrew
The 3rd District covers parts of New Orleans East, Arabi, Chalmette, Gentilly, Holy Cross, Marigny, and the Bywater.
We last covered Kenn Barnes in the March 23, 2024 voter guide, when he ran for Democratic State Central Committee (DSCC) 97th District Office B (losing to Eugene Green) as well as Democratic Parish Executive Committee (DPEC) District D (of which he is still a member, representing Orleans Parish) as part of the “Blue Reboot.” A self-described community advocate, Barnes is currently a criminal defense and personal injury lawyer, on-air legal analyst for WWL-TV, and assistant city attorney for the City of New Orleans. In the past, he has worked as a public defender as well as Special Counsel for the Louisiana Supreme Court, advising on the criminal justice and specialty courts, including the drug courts.
His platform is what you might expect, focusing on the economy, affordable insurance and housing stability, expanded education and youth programs (including expanding access to early childhood education), crime prevention (which includes holding systems accountable and “help[ing] people return to productive, stable lives”), and neighborhood improvement via responsible use of public funds, clear oversight and accountability, and neighborhood-focused investment and maintenance. These priorities all tie into improving the economy, which is a standard liberal focus. As with many other candidates, he does not provide any in-depth plan for how these priorities would be addressed.
Barnes coaches wrestling at Xavier University and is involved in various organizations across New Orleans. It is also worth mentioning that he describes himself as a “Cat Dad” in his Instagram profile and has posted numerous photos and videos of his many feline (and canine) friends over the years.
If Sidney J. Barthelemy II’s name sounds familiar, it is because his father is Sidney Barthelemy who, in 1974, was the first Black senator voted to the Louisiana State Senate since Reconstruction and was also Mayor of New Orleans from 1986 to 1994. For the past 20 years, the younger Barthelemy (who is a Morehouse College graduate) has been involved in construction and redevelopment projects around New Orleans and was part of efforts to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. He is the president of B-Squared Construction, which, according to the company website, focuses on community-based projects in New Orleans. These include the Urban League Head Start Center in New Orleans and Fire Station No. 10 in Metairie. In his candidate personal finance disclosure statement, he lists himself as the owner of B-Squared Construction. It is unclear how future contracts will be affected by his potential role as senator.
On his campaign website, Barthelemy makes sure to emphasize his New Orleans roots and role in the community. He is a former Board Chair of Benjamin E. Mays Preparatory School, a Leadership Fellow of the Justice Revius O. Ortique Leadership Institute, and is involved in organizations such as the Bunch Club and the Coterie Social Aid & Pleasure Club.
Barthelemy’s campaign platform focuses on—you guessed it—economic growth, affordable insurance, improving education, safer streets, and beautifying neighborhoods. As has been mentioned with other candidates, he does not provide any sort of in-depth (or, really any) explanation for how he hopes to achieve these goals.
Jon Johnson emphasizes his prior political experience, having previously served in the state Senate—in a January WDSU debate he emphasized his ability to work with Republican colleagues—and on the New Orleans City Council. He’s also served on the City Planning Commission and taught for decades at Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO), where his LinkedIn page indicates he also directed the Small Business Center.
Johnson also owns a business called Johnson & Johnson Commodities. Not to be confused with the drug company, this Johnson & Johnson is apparently named for Jon Johnson and his brother James and has operated restaurants, including Burger King franchises. According to his campaign financial disclosures, he received no income from the business in 2024.
Johnson’s political career entered a hiatus of sorts after he pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2012 and resigned his Council seat, admitting that he redirected post-Katrina FEMA funds from the nonprofit Ninth Ward Housing Development Corporation to his state Senate campaign. The Burger King mogul also admitted to slinging whoppers of a different sort, submitting false documents to the Small Business Administration, which provided him a loan to repair his home after Katrina. He and a contractor conspired to create bogus invoices for the repair work, according to a court document signed by Johnson at the time.
He briefly ran for the District E City Council seat in 2025 before withdrawing from the race. In the WDSU debate, he indicated he opposes the controversial Alabo Street Wharf grain terminal project in the Lower Ninth Ward.
Chad Lauga has worked as an electrician and served in various roles with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union. He’s also worked as a state-level lobbyist for the AFL-CIO and cites “helping to pass legislation that makes sure companies with state contracts use the national verification system to ensure the workers they hire are in this country legally” as an accomplishment from those days.
Perhaps the biggest focus of his campaign is lowering insurance rates, which he aims to accomplish by boosting funding for fortified roofs to better withstand storms, supporting coastal restoration, and removing a legal requirement that Louisiana Citizens, the state property insurer of last resort, charge more than private insurance.
In the January WDSU debate, Lauga also indicated he’d support raising state supplemental police pay to help recruit more cops in New Orleans and that he’d oppose the Alabo Street Wharf project unless the state was able to address resident concerns.
The sole candidate in the race from St. Bernard Parish, Lauga previously ran for state representative in 2011, ultimately losing to Republican Ray Garofalo in a runoff.
Summary: Kenn Barnes is an attorney and community advocate. Sidney J. Barthelemy II owns a construction company and is active in community organizations (and is the son of former Mayor Sidney Barthelemy). Jon Johnson is a former state legislator and City councilmember who resigned and pleaded guilty to federal charges. Chad Lauga is an electrician and former union president who’s especially focused on insurance costs.
State Representative
97th Representative District
David Cook (D) – other/disqualified
Eugene Green (D)
“Ed” Murray (D)
The 97th Representative District, which represents parts of the Faubourg St. John, Mid-City, and Gentilly neighborhoods, currently has a vacancy because Matthew Willard was recently elected to serve as a councilmember-at-large for New Orleans.
The Secretary of State website lists Eugene Green as running for this seat, which might be confusing for people remembering that Eugene Green just won a reelection campaign for City Council. In fact, it is Councilmember Green’s son, Eugene Green III, who is running for this seat—and it seems a little strange that this distinction would not be made on the Secretary of State website, and presumably the ballot itself.
Eugene Green III’s website says that he is a property management consultant and treasurer and board member for Xplore Federal Credit Union, and has served as an intern for Mary Landrieu. Green’s platform prioritizes public safety, affordable insurance, fiscal responsibility, economic development, education, and environmental stewardship. Even on name alone, it’s unclear what Green is offering that would be unique, and he seems like a fairly status quo candidate.
Green is not the only candidate in this race who shares a name with their politically established father. “Ed” T. Murray, not to be confused with his dad “Ed” R. Murray, is also running for this seat. Murray is a lawyer who specializes in personal injury, asbestos litigation, and commercial litigation, and is also a member of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club. According to his website, his priorities are lowering insurance costs, early childhood education, economic prosperity, safe neighborhoods, reducing blight, and stopping brain drain—all fairly similar to his opponent. His website also notes that he is secretary of the City Park Conservancy and is a past member of the Louisiana Public Defender Board.
Summary: These candidates seem fairly similar, so you pick which direct namesake takes the cake.
State Representative
100th Representative District
Patricia Boyd Robertson (D)
Dana Henry (D)
Eric Jones (D) – withdrew
Aeisha Kelly (D)
Kenya Rounds (D)
Candice Taylor (D)
The 100th Representative District represents New Orleans East.
Patricia Boyd Robertson is the founder and CEO of Appointed Financial Group, a New Orleans tax and real estate consulting firm, and a professor at SUNO’s College of Business and Public Administration. She is also president of CANO Community Development Corporation, a church-based community development nonprofit whose programs fall into the categories of economic empowerment, social development, and environmental stewardship, though no specific programing is actually listed, and the only tangible project discernible from the website is a proposed affordable housing complex on Chef Menteur. In 2021, Robertson ran for the position of Orleans Criminal District Court Clerk, which she lost to Darren Lombard. According to the CANO website, Robertson’s goal is “to see everyone, especially those in Christ, prosper[.]”
Family law and juvenile attorney and charter school advocate Dana Henry is running on his education background. He cites his experience sitting on the board of a charter school as the start of his interest in public service. In 2014 he was appointed as director of Stand for Children Louisiana, a since-shuttered school choice organization. In 2021 Henry was voted onto the New Orleans Public Library Board of Directors, despite vocal opposition from the community due to his enthusiastic support for Proposition 2, which would have reduced the library budget by a third as a good reason to keep him away from library leadership. Beyond the ire over the proposed library budget cuts, there were other shady aspects of Henry’s involvement in the millage campaign, including sharing a stock photo on social media of someone he claimed was a “teen mother” who supported Proposition 2, and falsely claiming the Bureau of Governmental Research supported the measure. Upon the approval of his appointment, Henry said his goal was to bring the library into a closer working relationship with public schools, early childhood education, and literacy campaigns.
Aeisha Kelly was part of Jason Hughes’ campaign to be elected to the City Council as a campaign consultant. She has a background in social work and public policy and worked in director-level roles for two New Orleans charter school systems. Kelly has been active with the New Orleans East Matters Community Task Force, a group organized by the New Orleans East Matters coalition. While on the task force, Kelly was vocal about worsening food deserts after several dollar stores closed in New Orleans East, but she has also supported the installation of road signs that discourage giving money to unhoused folks. Her list of priorities includes economic development, maternal health care, equitable education, and public safety. She has a strong interest in public safety and civic engagement, having completed the NOPD Citizen’s Police Academy, the Civic Leadership Academy, and the FBI Citizens Academy.
Kenya Rounds is a practicing personal injury, contract, and criminal law attorney at his own law firm, though he received an ethics violation in 2016 for commingling client and personal finances, which resulted in the suspension of his license for six months. He unsuccessfully ran to be a member of the Democratic State Central Committee (DSCC) back in 2020, but was able to join 11 others (including electoral competitor Candice Taylor) as current members of the Democratic Party Executive Committee (DPEC). Rounds was hired as an attorney for the board of Edgar P. Harney Spirit of Excellence Academy and, in 2018, was involved with handling a financial mismanagement case against the school’s CFO, as well as defended the board against a suit filed by a fired school principal who challenged the board on the school’s finances. That same year, Rounds was involved in the cover-up of sexual harassment allegations against the then-president of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club. Rounds’ campaign website mentions lowering insurance costs, strengthening public safety, and bringing more investment to New Orleans East.
Candice Taylor formerly worked in patient access at Ochsner, then taught for a year while leading community organizations in New Orleans East. She and her husband Ryan Taylor are co-founders of the Lincoln Beach Neighborhood Association and the New Orleans East Restoration Project, both of which focus on revitalization initiatives, including litter abatement, beautification projects, and community engagement. According to Taylor, she helped residents engage with City leaders to resolve issues related to illegal dumping and blight reduction, in addition to her involvement with the New Orleans East Matters Community Task Force. She is also a current member of the Democratic Party Executive Committee. At the time of this writing, her priorities include infrastructure improvements and economic development. She aims to “activate the Lincoln Beach Cultural District,” but doesn’t elaborate on a plan, given Lincoln Beach’s opening has faced federal funding struggles and administrative hurdles.
Summary: Aeisha Kelly and Candice Taylor seem to have the most experience in community engagement and might have the on-the-ground knowledge and local relationships to adequately advocate on behalf of New Orleans East. Kelly’s campaign may also benefit from working with Jason Hughes in the past. Patricia Boyd Robertson has prior campaign experience and financial expertise that might be preferable to some voters, but lacks a track record of community organizing. Dana Henry and Kenya Rounds both have histories that don’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence.
Election Info
The deadline to request a mail ballot is February 3 by 4:30 p.m (other than military and overseas voters).
The deadline for the registrar of voters to receive a mail ballot is February 6 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).
Early Voting
Early voting for this election begins on January 24 and ends on January 31 (excluding Sunday, January 25), from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday election day voting hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
City Hall
RM 1W24; 1300 Perdido St. 70112
Algiers Courthouse
RM 105; 225 Morgan St. 70114
Voting Machine Warehouse
8870 Chef Menteur Highway 70127
Lake Vista Community Center
6500 Spanish Fort Blvd. 70124
This voter guide is offered without cost as a service to our beloved readers, but donations are accepted to help cover research fees and labor. A suggested donation of whatever your lifestyle considers $5 is appreciated. Payments can be made via Venmo or PayPal to @antigravitymag (all one word, no dashes). Please include “Voter Guide” or “VG” in the comment or memo.
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This voter education guide is published primarily as a resource and does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate or proposition by ANTIGRAVITY Magazine.
