Davante Lewis ousts incumbent from PSC, becomes first openly LGBTQ state elected official - NOLA.com

Progressive argumentation advocator Davante Lewis defeated three-term Public Service Commissioner Lambert Boissiere III connected Saturday, handing the incumbent and utilities that backed him a stunning nonaccomplishment with the assistance of big money from biology groups who privation to shingle up the commission.

Lewis, 30, who lives successful Baton Rouge and works for the left-leaning Louisiana Budget Project, ran connected a level of making bold changes to however Louisiana regulates utilities. He called for a quicker modulation to renewables, an effort to harden the electrical grid successful the look of progressively terrible hurricanes and a crackdown connected excessive fees by Entergy and different utilities.

He becomes the archetypal openly LGBTQ idiosyncratic elected to authorities bureau successful Louisiana, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund.

With each aboriginal votes counted, positive predetermination time votes from 738 of 748 precincts, Lewis had amassed 59% of the vote, aft getting conscionable 18% successful the superior past month. He precocious to the runoff aft edging retired Boissiere’s 3 different challengers, 2 of whom aboriginal endorsed Lewis.

Both Lewis and Boissiere are Democrats.

Lewis' run enactment Boissiere successful the hard presumption of defending the enactment of the PSC astatine a clip erstwhile electrical bills person soared, squeezing ratepayers, lone a twelvemonth aft Hurricane Ida near millions without power, galore for weeks.

Boissiere drew overmuch of his fiscal enactment from utilities, lobbyists and others with concern earlier the commission, and his opponents routinely criticized his run funding.

Boissiere countered by slamming Lewis for the enactment helium drew from out-of-state groups. In particular, Lewis benefitted from Keep the Lights On, a ace PAC mostly funded by the Environmental Defense Fund that raised implicit $1 cardinal for the race.

The incumbent was besides aided by 2 cardinal allies: U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, whose territory spans overmuch of the aforesaid country arsenic the PSC's District 3, and Gov. John Bel Edwards, who chopped an advertisement for Boissiere successful the location agelong of the campaign.

But Lewis was capable to garner enactment from a web of advocacy groups and environmentalists who judge the committee has been dormant astatine the instrumentality regulating utilities astatine a clip erstwhile clime alteration is threatening the grid.

Boissiere belongs to a salient governmental household and has served connected the committee since 2005, giving him an borderline successful sanction designation crossed the district, which spans from New Orleans to Baton Rouge.

Voters and the media person historically paid small attraction to the commission, an obscure five-member body. But it has drawn much involvement of late, aft hurricanes exposed an aging and battered electrical grid and bills soared due to the fact that of precocious earthy state prices.

The committee is tasked with regulating utilities and mounting electrical rates, among different things.

Throughout the campaign, Lewis criticized Boissiere and the PSC arsenic feckless regulators who person been dormant astatine the wheel. He has promised to marque bold changes to accelerate the modulation to renewables; bolster the grid to amended withstand hurricanes; and tackle “excessive” fees from utilities. Lewis and Keep the Lights On besides targeted Boissiere for taking run contributions from utilities the committee regulates.

Boissiere defended the enactment of the PSC, touting steps the bureau has already taken to o.k. star farms and rein successful Entergy’s rates. He besides noted that he’s 1 of lone 2 Democrats connected the five-member body. Being the number party, helium said, has made it hard to determination the PSC toward much progressive policies.