Meet the women hoping to defeat Congressman Clay Higgins for District 3
LOUISIANA (KLFY) -- Two women are going up against Congressman Clay Higgins for his seat in the 3rd Congressional District.
Democrats Priscilla Gonzales and Sadi Summerlin hope to beat out the four-term Republican congressman.
Candidate Sadi Summerlin
"We deserve progressive changes in Louisiana," Summerlin said. "Just because we live in a state in the south should not limit our rights and our ability to live according to how we choose and we see fit."
Summerlin is from West Lake and has a background in public education. She's an advocate for reproductive rights.
"We deserve full rights over our bodies and our lives and the decisions that we make," she told News 10.
Her other focuses are public education investment, workers' rights, and voters' rights. Summerlin said her daughter inspired her to join the race for Congress.
"I couldn't imagine her looking at me five to 10 years from now and her looking at me and asking me what I did to change the world for a better place and help protect her, and my answer be nothing. The only answer I was satisfied with in my heart was everything possible, and so that's why I'm here," Summerlin said.
Candidate Priscilla Gonzales
Gonzales utilized social media for her interview with News 10, choosing to be interviewed on TikTok live.
"As a minority and as the first female Latina who is actually running for congress in Louisiana, I feel extremely strong right now," Gonzales said.
She said she joined the race because she doesn't believe in incumbent Congressman Clay Higgins.
"I'm more focused on raising awareness on the policies that Higgins is voting against," she said.
Gonzales credits herself on fighting for minorities, and her focus is on policy and legislation.
"We rank one of the lowest states on education, on healthcare. We have the highest incarceration rate in the entire United States. We have some of the highest poverty rates in the entire United States. We have a very high maternal mortality rate. So, we need to start focusing on the issues that plague District 3 in Louisiana," Gonzales said.
News 10 did reach out to Higgins for an interview. He did not respond to the requests.