Randal Gaines has been on the road to “Renew the Blue.” The chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party was in Lake Charles Tuesday to communicate the party’s support for Vice President Kamala Harris. He told the nearly 60 people gathered at the Huber Community Center that he was hoping Louisiana would be the first state to endorse Harris after President Biden decided not to run.

“I didn’t want the Republicans to say there was any doubt that we were behind Kamala Harris, which is exactly what they would have done,” Gaines said.

Nothing has changed about the process of the Democratic National Convention except that we have a new candidate, he said.

Sadie Summerlin was introduced at the event. She will be running against Clay Higgins for the U.S. House to represent Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District.

Dustin Granger, treasurer for the state party and a Democratic National Committee delegate, said it’s no secret that the Louisiana Democrats have been struggling across the state.

“But as bad as everything has been, we really do have some new, fresh voices now in the State Central Committee. We’re hitting the ground running, getting ready for the convention.”

Granger said the blue has a good chance of flipping a congressional district this year. Sen. Cleo Fields, a fixture in state politics for more than three decades, is looking to return to congress by winning the redrawn 6th District.

Gaines said that during canvassing, and in discussions that involve the vote, it’s important to remember that people, in general, don’t want to know what’s important to you. They want you to know what’s important to them and that you are trying to help them vote in a way that will make a positive difference in their lives.