One of two men who grew up in rural northeast h will make history Saturday by becoming the first Black U.S. Senate campaign finalist in h since Reconstruction.
Jamie Davis, a farmer from tiny Tensas Parish, is vying for the Democratic Party Senate nomination on Saturday against Gary Crockett, a business owner in New Orleans who is originally from Madison Parish.
Davis is heavily favored in the runoff. He nearly captured the May 16 primary outright, has far more money than Crockett, has a full campaign staff — unlike Crockett — and has endorsements from the h Democratic Party and New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming for the Republican Senate nomination in a separate party primary.
The winners of each race will face off in the general election on Nov. 3, with the Republican candidate expected to win.
No-party voters – who make up nearly one-third of the state’s voters – can cast ballots in either the Republican or Democratic primaries on Saturday. Those who voted last month must vote for the same party they chose then.
Davis and Crockett are the last men standing for Democrats after better known party officials – notably former Gov. John Bel Edwards and state Sen. Jay Luneau of Alexandria – bypassed making the race.
Little seems to separate Davis and Crockett on the issues.
Like Democrats nationally, they both vigorously oppose President Donald Trump’s handling of the war against Iran. Both have blasted Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, saying it primarily cut taxes for the wealthy, while reducing spending on the working poor who qualify for Obamacare.
Both have promised a “h First” approach to the issues while providing thin details on what that would mean.
During a 30-minute talk Monday night to Indivisible NOLA, a progressive grassroots group, Davis identified the “four pillars” of his campaign as “education, health care, affordability and upholding the constitution.”
But Davis never explained what policies he supported to advance those goals.
Crockett, who said he was too busy for an interview, spoke in generalities while appearing on the air Friday with Baton Rouge talk radio host Jim Engster.
“I’m not a safe candidate,” Crockett said. “I’m not a safe candidate because I’m for the people.”
Tensions between candidates
A bit of bad blood has emerged between Davis and Crockett over Davis’ refusal to debate Crockett during the runoff. Davis told the Indivisible NOLA crowd that his campaign’s attorney told him not to engage with Crockett after his opponent accused Davis campaign workers of tearing down his signs during the primary and threatened to sue.
“I have no reason not to debate Gary,” Davis said, noting that the two appeared at several forums together during the primary.
“Well, he’s sitting right here,” a man in the audience called out. Crockett was attending the event uninvited.
“You’re ducking me,” Crockett exclaimed to Davis.
“I ain’t ducking you,” Davis replied.
“You are,” insisted Crockett.
Beth Davis, Indivisible’s communications director and no relation, jumped in.
“This isn’t actually the space for a political debate, thank you,” she said.
The group announced Tuesday that it had voted unanimously to endorse Jamie Davis.
“He’s like our John Fetterman”
Davis didn’t look like the typical Senate candidate as he stood before the group Monday night. He wore old blue jeans, an oversized sport coat and a Davis for Senate baseball cap that was slightly askew.
“It’s like our John Fetterman,” Melissa Flournoy, a veteran Democratic activist and former state legislator, said Tuesday by phone, referring to the Pennsylvania senator who favors cargo shorts and a hoodie. “He’s not a traditional candidate, but there’s something appealing about his personality and manner that puts people at ease.”
Davis, 55, told the crowd that he began working on the family’s farm in 1990 when it had only 75 acres. Over the years, he expanded it to 3,200 acres in Tensas, Concordia, Franklin and Catahoula parishes.
Davis said Trump’s tariffs have prompted reciprocal tariffs that have raised the cost of the cotton, corn and soybeans that he exports.
Unlike Crockett, Davis has served in elected office, a four-year term on the Tensas Parish Police Jury. He was defeated for reelection.
Nonetheless, Davis said he could expand the Democratic base widely enough to challenge the Republican candidate this fall
“It don’t hurt to be the farmer from Tensas,” he said. “That gives me the ability to talk to the people that Democrats haven’t been able to reach forever.”
Davis said he favored a “secure border” but also called for giving undocumented immigrants a “simple” path to citizenship.
Through June 7, Davis had raised $1.2 million and had $383,000 in cash on hand, according to his latest Federal Election Commission filing.
Crockett hadn’t raised any money through June 7. He had spent $49,000 of the $350,000 he loaned his campaign.
“I saw citizens being ignored”
In an interview in April, Crockett, 61, said he left Madison Parish in his early 20s because he saw no opportunities there. He went to New Orleans to attend Delgado Community College, enlisted in the Navy and served there until 2005.
“I was a medic, for lack of another word,” he said.
Crockett continued in the Naval Reserves and went into business. He said he owns five companies with 21 full-time employees.
Crockett said he decided to run for the Senate after concluding that political leaders were not serving the people.
“I saw citizens being ignored, and the same thing happening over and over again,” he said.
Crockett said he owns four companies that operate under the umbrella of Branae Holdings. They do work in the fields of aerospace, construction, management consulting and cyber security. A fifth company is Mixed Bag Entertainment, which he said distributes music films and TV shows.
Crockett identified the main issues as “affordability, better jobs and better health care. We can’t have health without great wealth.”