BATON ROUGE — Incumbent Democrat Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome will face Republican Sid Edwards in a December runoff election.
With 331 of 331 precincts now reporting, Sid Edwards received 34% of the total vote while Weston Broome came in second with 31% of votes and Ted James rounded out the race with 28% of the total votes.
More than 188,000 people across East Baton Rouge cast votes for the city’s next mayor-president which was an unofficial turnout of nearly 68%.
Sharon Weston Broome
Weston Broome spoke in front of a packed crowd of supporters at the Downtown Mariot shortly before results from 100% of the parish’s precincts had come in.
“When we started this journey back in 2016 it felt like we were taking a single step into the unknown. I know many of you were there for that first step. And I know many of you all have stuck with us through the challenges we faced and each one of you here tonight knows that we did not shy away from any challenge,” Weston Broome said. “Now it is about finishing the job we started together.”
Incumbent Democrat Sharon Weston Broome is seeking her third term as East Baton Rouge Parish mayor-president.
In 2016, Broome made history by becoming the first woman elected as mayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish. Before that, she served on the city’s metro council and in the State Legislature, where she held positions as speaker pro tempore in the House and president pro tempore in the Senate.
In her 2024 state of the city report, Broome emphasized achievements such as a reduction in gun violence, the removal of 141 condemned structures, the cleanup of the city by removing 1,250 tons of debris, and the funding of over 1,000 affordable housing units in various Baton Rouge neighborhoods. Broome also highlighted the allocation of $39.4 million in contracts and purchases to minority, women, and veteran-certified businesses.
Sid Edwards
Sid Edwards is running as a Republican. Edwards is a long-time resident and well-known sports coach.
While speaking with UWK, he said he was thrilled with the results, especially considering the grassroots nature of his campaign.
“Just from the humble beginnings of the campaign to where we’re at tonight, lots of emotions. I’m humbled, proud of the people on my team, and very humbled by the citizens of East Baton Rouge Parish who showed some love tonight.”
At this time, Edwards said his goal is to continue informing the voters of East Baton Rouge Parish about who he is as a candidate.
“The biggest thing I got to do is get East Baton Rouge Parish to know who Sid Edwards is,” Edwards said. “The goal and the challenge is to get out there and let people know that I am a choice and I am a choice for change.”
He currently serves as the head football coach at Istrouma. During his campaign, Edwards spoke extensively about crime, blight, and poverty across the Greater East Baton Rouge Area and said he was partially inspired to run after a freshman football player he coached was killed in a drive-by shooting on January 1, 2024.
In a September debate held at the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, Edwards said that crime is a multi-layered issue. He said the parish needs more police officers on the streets and that more funds should be allocated to the district attorney’s office. He explained that reducing the crime rate would be his top priority if elected.
“When you look at economic development, infrastructure, and other things that are going on, if you don’t fix that part, if people don’t feel safe… If you’re putting your baby to bed at night and you’re worried about whether a bullet is going to fly through the door… If you look at the homeless population on the street, they need help,” Edwards said. “You look at the blight, the abandoned buildings, the growing weeds, none of the other subjects matter if we don’t fix those things.”
Ted James
Democrat Ted James is officially out of the race after receiving 28% of the total vote.
James announced his candidacy in February 2024. James is a Baton Rouge native and graduate of McKinley High, Southern University and A&M College, and the Southern University Law Center.
He was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in November 2011, ultimately serving three terms there. He chaired the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee and the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus During his tenure.
For the past two years, James has served as regional administrator for the Small Business Administration, overseeing operations in the SBA’s South Central region, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
During a forum at Southern University, James emphasized the importance of supporting organizations like the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District, collaborating with the state Department of Economic Development to attract large-scale projects, and building a strong small business ecosystem.
“We know that many small businesses need technical assistance, but way too often that assistance stops at ‘Hey, this is what you need.’ We need more technical help,” James said. “The second thing: we need more access to capital, and not just loans, right? We need to explore more grant funding for our small businesses. The third thing we need to do for these small businesses that have contracts with the city is to pay them on time. One of the worst things that can happen to a small business is to get a contract, do the work, invoice, and then wait, and wait, and wait to be repaid.”
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