Democrats across the nation are .
President Donald Trump, South African billionaire Elon Musk, House Speaker Mike Johnson and their Republican colleagues, influencers and power players are tearing down the federal government so many — Democrats and Republicans alike — spent centuries to build.
They want it to stop. But they're not sure what to do.
In h, just in recent years, Democrats lost the governorship, Republicans hold all statewide elective offices and supermajorities in the h Senate and House of Representatives. Democrats got a win, with the support of Gov. Jeff Landry, when the party got a second congressional seat, though that pick up is being challenged in the courts. Democrats have some mayoral seats. Not putting up enough candidates to challenge some district representative seats allowed the GOP to walk into Baton Rouge state capitol with an advantage.
Congressional Democrats have hosted town halls recently, seizing on the opportunity to highlight and blast Trump's federal government cuts with more cuts coming, including the president's intent to demolish the Department of Education. U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, held town halls in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Natchitoches, Opelousas and Shreveport. U.S. Rep. Troy Carter held a town hall in Georges Auditorium at Dillard University in New Orleans.
I was reminded how bad things look for Democrats when I attended Carter's town hall in Gentilly. Carter hosted the event to hear about the critical health issues that might become dire if Republicans make the Medicare and Medicare changes being discussed.
, there were a few people in the Georges Auditorium seats and a few people mingling outside. As the start time neared, every few minutes there were two or three, then five or six, dozens and scores parking and walking, or rushing, to get inside. These were not the Democrats who were disappointed with Vice President Kamala Harris's loss to Donald Trump and, exhausted, decided to set politics aside as they did their best to ignore what's been going on — and what's likely to happen.
Participants continued to come in well after the program started. They listened to Carter and health professionals who shared disturbing and depressing data about communities like ours who could lose jobs, critical health care access and uncertain disability and special education support. They railed about joining a few other Democrats to approve a Republican budget stopgap measure that most Democrats saw as damaging.
Things could get worse.
The more progressive Brennan Center recently suggested that blue states are shrinking enough that Democrats could lose 12 congressional seats with the next U.S. census. The more conservative American Redistricting Project basically agreed, saying it's likely that Democrats could lose 11 seats.
That feels like Democrats are battling on several fronts as they search for a message that gets more Democrats engaged, gets more Democrats registered and gets more Democrats out to vote.
I asked h Democratic Party Chair Randal Gaines about the challenge. He sighed, then said, "I've got a tough job.....We've got a tough job."
Realizing as the party leader, he must exude hope, he immediately switched gears and talked about party moves, needs and opportunities.
He's most excited about the party's new executive director, .
Lanus has been the executive director of 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge. He built the staff from one to three to 10 employees in three years. The chapter won the national organization's chapter of the year award in 2023.
Recommended by Gaines after a search conducted by a firm with political expertise, the party leadership team confirmed the selection Wednesday night. Lanus serves on the East Baton Rouge School Board, representing the same district that includes his high school, Glen Oaks High School. He has an undergraduate degree, a master's degree, a doctoral degree from Southern University and a law degree from Southern University Law Center. On his first full day of work Thursday, Lanus told me despite all the challenges Democrats face, he wanted this job. "Right now, we're in a hostile situation," he said, "but it's a perfect storm because there's so much we can accomplish — and people just want to see us fight."
Some in the Carter town hall audience begged Carter and his colleague Democrats to do much more, and to enlist their help. Carter insisted that they had, and they still do. With counter messaging, with town halls and with encouraging people to stay involved.
In the end, however, he said the biggest key can be summed up in one word: Vote.
We're in this mess largely because not enough people voted for another direction.
Gaines and Lanus are aiming to change that in h.
