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EDGARD— Larry Sorapuru Jr., of Edgard, LA, has launched his campaign for Louisiana House of Representatives. To date, he is the only Democrat to enter the race.

 

Mr. Sorapuru said his understanding of how local, state and federal government is designed to function makes him an ideal candidate. Mr. Sorapuru has spent seven years serving the state of Louisiana, as a former Councilperson of St. John the Baptist Parish and an appointed board member of the Lafourche Levee Basin District. While in office, Mr. Sorapuru helped expand and upgrade parish water plants, secured funding for affordable housing, supported development of Ochsner ER facility, extended the West Bank bike path, facilitated dual enrollment opportunities for community college students, engaged warehouse developers in bringing businesses to the east and west banks, secured funding to replace crumbling infrastructure and repair hurricane-damaged homes, and lobbied Washington D.C. for funding for the West Shore levee project which is being built now. Two major projects he is working on with the Lafourche Levee Basin District Board is raising 18 miles of levee on the west bank of St. Charles, and securing funding for an $80 million flood gate to stop major tidal surges from flooding the communities around Lac des Allemands. These projects will protect thousands of homes in the River Parishes.

 

“My campaign will focus on moving my district forward with an eye towards building a better future for our children. To me, this means providing both youth and adults with workforce skills necessary to move our community forward towards a clean energy economy. It means supporting sustainable development in ways which prioritize small local business owners, and protect our natural resources and historical and cultural assets. It means securing funds to fix our crumbling infrastructure, building affordable climate-resilient housing, and strengthening our drainage and flood protection system to safeguard citizens and bring down insurance rates. It means prioritizing public safety and wellbeing, expanding access to affordable health care, investing in our district’s recreational facilities and social services, advocating for our elderly, disabled and veteran populations, and supporting our police, fire fighters and emergency responders. It means strengthening democracy by expanding early and mail-in voting. For the past three years I have been assisting the Registrar of Voters count absentee ballots. I vow to challenge partisan gerrymandering efforts, reform election campaign finance laws, fight for women’s reproductive rights, and protect the civil rights of all people.”

 

Mr. Sorapuru continues to prioritize education in the River Parishes. “If we are going to survive future challenges and changes in the years and decades to come, we need to invest in our education system. To me this means increasing educator and support staff salaries, equipping schools with technologies needed to bring our students into the digital age, and supporting after-school youth engagement programs. We have to prepare our children for a future that may be fraught with challenges brought on by climate change, energy transition, natural resource depletion, disinformation and disruptive technologies, and disease outbreaks.”

 

Much of the work Mr. Sorapuru has done for the community has occurred outside of any official capacity or duty. In addition to his years of civil service, Mr. Sorapuru has served the community through his work with several organizations, including the West Bank Stakeholders Organization, the West St. John Civic Association, the St. John Parish Democratic Committee, the Wallace Indians, and Concerned Citizens of St. John Parish. Over the past few years, Mr. Sorapuru has felt a sense of urgency in preparing and protecting the community from natural disasters. Mr. Sorapuru said, “My work on the Levee Board with the CPRA [Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority] and Army Corps has given me a clear vision of the steps needed to address floods in the years ahead.” Mr. Sorapuru has represented the River Parishes on the Governor’s Climate Initiatives Taskforce in their development of the State’s Climate Action Plan. He has served on Representative Matthew Willard’s Contraflow Task Force to develop recommendations to ensure all local and state officials are ready with a coordinated plan to assist residents in evacuating during natural disasters. And he has been a vocal supporter of Together LA’s and Together Baton Rouge’s Lighthouse Project to increase neighborhood resiliency by installing commercial-scale solar power systems for use during power outages.

 

“Mr. Sorapuru put his own home inspections and insurance claims aside while he worked with us on the ground to help our neighbors after Hurricane Ida. He came as soon as I called him,” said Gary Watson, former Vice President of the St. John Community Action Advisory Board. “He worked with us for weeks preparing and serving meals to people who lost their homes and jobs. He started calling out-of-state groups to get supplies trucked in. He asked people what they needed, secured the warehouse, helped unload supplies, and made sure donations went to people most in need. Larry is a man of integrity. I am grateful he is willing to take on this huge responsibility. I know he will fight to get our communities what we need.”

 

“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve my community”, said Mr. Sorapuru. “I am aware of the fact that there is much we need to do. As with all things we have to prioritize our problems and issues. I am here to serve the people, not to push my own agenda or line my pockets. My job is to listen to you and then secure the resources we need to achieve the community’s goals. Ultimately, my priorities will be directed by the will of the people. When I campaign across the parish, I want to hear from you. Let me know what you need. What are your concerns? Do you have any ideas for youth engagement programs? Thoughts on needed elderly services? Problems with your energy bill? If we are to succeed as a community we all need to rise in service to each other. Are you able and willing to pitch in and help your neighbors? I am proud of the heritage left by our forebearers, and just as my ancestors did before me, I vow to protect, serve, and put the interests of my community before my own.”

 

To learn more about Larry’s election campaign for Louisiana State Representative for District 57, please contact him at 504-256-0436 or lesora77@gmail.com.