Prominent high school football coach and surprise Republican mayoral candidate Sid Edwards intends to run a “positive” campaign aimed at reaching voters across party and racial lines.
That’s according to Edwards himself, who made a case for his mayoral bid at the Chamber of Commerce of East Baton Rouge Parish’s meeting at Café Americain on Tuesday.
“I am a unifier and I am a healer, and I am here to heal Baton Rouge,” Edwards said.
Edwards’ coaching career spans four decades and includes a 17-year stint at Central High School. He currently coaches at Istrouma High School in north Baton Rouge, a role he stepped into in March 2023.
Edwards, who was raised in north Baton Rouge, described his decision to join Istrouma and serve as a mentor to the school’s students as a “calling.” He said he has witnessed first-hand how communities in the 70805 ZIP code have been neglected over the years, and rectifying the disparities between north and south Baton Rouge is likely to be one of his top priorities if he is elected.
“Remember when you were kids?” Edwards asked the approximately 50 attendees. “You had to walk or ride a bike everywhere you went. If you wanted to get a cool breeze, you had to go sit on the porch. Time stood still [in north Baton Rouge]. That’s still happening. A lot of these people don’t have air conditioning. One of my players didn’t even have a door on his house when I got there. I’m running for all of Baton Rouge. … The poor people over there have been neglected.”
Though precise policy proposals were few and far between in Edwards’ speech, he did stress the importance of addressing crime, homelessness and litter, suggesting that tackling those issues would also serve to spur economic development in the city-parish. He also expressed his support for St. George, Louisiana’s newest city.
Edwards is also very open about the fact that he is something of a political novice, though he said he intends to fill in any gaps in his knowledge by surrounding himself with an experienced, well-educated staff.
“I hire people who are smarter than me and who are experts in their fields, and I give them the autonomy and the power to go get it done,” Edwards said. “That’s how [Baton Rouge] will be run.”
Edwards qualified for the mayoral race on Friday. Eight other candidates have thrown their hats in the ring, though former state Rep. Ted James and incumbent Sharon Weston Broome—both Democrats—have emerged as early frontrunners.
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