Published: Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Troy Carter and Karen Carter Peterson. Photo credit: Melinda Deslatte/Associated Press
Louisiana state Sens. Troy Carter and Karen Carter Peterson, seen here in file photos, are running for an open House seat. Energy and environmental issues have become central to the Democrats' campaigns. Melinda Deslatte/Associated Press
This weekend's special House election in southern Louisiana is a contest between two starkly different visions for an area dominated by the oil, natural gas and petrochemical industries.
Two Democratic state senators, Karen Carter Peterson and Troy Carter, are vying for the spot in the 2nd District, a majority-Black constituency that includes parts of New Orleans, Baton Rouge and areas between, including the pollution-heavy area dubbed "Cancer Alley" for high cancer rates blamed on heavy industry.