Louisiana Congressional 6th District Race Challenge for 2018

I am Devin Lance Graham and I am running for the sixth congressional district seat. I am an independent candidate, the party for the people.

The parties are holding our country back, fighting with each other to accomplish nothing, and if a piece of legislation actually gets near being passed, the bill is loaded with items that have nothing to do with the idea of the subject issue.

I believe in serving my community. I believe in helping all people that are in true need, and do not expect anything in return. I was not told that instead I learned that lesson. The memory of my father and mother helping elderly neighbors that they never met after Hurricane Andrew visited us in Baton Rouge.

My parents are the fabric of this nation, they are the young couple who got married at a young age and raised three boys while both working jobs that they were proud to work. They packed up everything that they could fit into one car with my oldest brother and left Washington Parish in 1980 to come to Baton Rouge to find work and start a new life. Showing us boys that no matter the job title, you always work hard and be proud of your work. Their story alone provides many examples of how to live life.

My father works every day, my mother now handles the task of being a grandmother. My oldest brother, Cristopher, is a resident of Prairieville and the middle brother, Daniel, serves in the Air Force and is a resident of Gonzales. No matter the hurdles that have been thrown in our paths, we manage to still be a connected family. The core of our life is knowing that no matter the things that happen, good or bad, we can always call on each other for a hand or at least an ear.

I am a resident of Prairieville, have been living here since the age of 7. Graduated from Dutchtown High School. I am a Louisiana licensed real estate broker, working with many of the residents, businesses, and investors in the region. On top of being a broker, I own and operate Zydeco Electric LLC, working in the homes and businesses all over the region. Growing small ideas, watching them evolve into businesses that grow every day, working with many of clients in real estate.

I also have the honor of being the vice chairman of the Parish of Ascension Board of Adjustments. Volunteering since August 2014 and voted to be vice chairman in 2015, I am and have been happy to serve my parish and my neighbors. Serving the community is important. Having that ability and time can be difficult, but if possible always give back to the neighborhood, community, and parish.

Justin DeWitt was born in Sulphur, Louisiana, graduated from Zachary High School, and has lived and worked in Baton Rouge for over a decade. He witnessed the passage of an amendment telling him he couldn't get married, found out he could be fired if he came out of the closet, and was told that no one even wanted the blood in his veins. These experiences motivated him to get involved in politics in his adult life. At the same time, Justin also worked 40 hours per week throughout high school which developed the driving work ethic that has defined his adult life and propelled him directly into his career in surveying.

As a crew foreman for a surveying company, Justin has driven all over the state and been involved in the planning and construction of countless infrastructure projects. This experience has given him a first-hand look at the miserable traffic that chokes the region both as a driver and in the construction of new projects. He has worked hard every day to better himself and his family while confronting the daily struggles of life in south Louisiana.

In 2016, Justin hosted friends after they flooded before having his own house flood as well. After the flood, he stayed in his own gutted out house for a month while working just to get the supplies necessary to repair the damage to his house himself. It was sitting in that hollowed out house fighting just to regain dignity that he decided to run for Congress. The disaster relief system in this country simply does not work and Justin became determined to do everything he can to make it work for Louisiana and the country. To that end, Justin intends to work just as hard as he has in his career and in rebuilding his flooded house to make this system work for everyone.