Welcome to Louisiana Lefty, a podcast about politics and community in Louisiana, where we make the case that the health of the state requires a strong progressive movement fueled by the critical work of organizing on the ground. Our goal is to democratize information, demystify party politics, and empower you to join the mission, because victory for Louisiana requires you.
On this week's episode, I host Brooks Fordham who attends college at Louisiana Tech, a short drive from his native West Monroe, Louisiana. He's also the outgoing vice president of College Democrats of Louisiana. And together we continue my series of conversations with young Democratic leaders on the best ways to engage voters in their peer group.
Brooks Fordham! Thank you so much for joining me on Louisiana Lefty today.
Thank you so much for having me, Lynda.
Well, I am glad that you're here. I always start the podcast with how we met. As you mentioned earlier to me, I talked to Cameron English a couple weeks ago, and like her, I believe you and I met during the pandemic. So we've never been together in person. Is that correct? Do I have that right?
I believe so. Did we meet at the True Blue Gala in 2019? Were you there?
I was! So we probably did. Okay. Okay.
I think I actually remember meeting you there. I was with Stephen Handwerk. So maybe we did.
100%, then. I'm glad you reminded me of that. That 100% is where we met then. But we also did work together virtually on the convention in 2020.
Yes, yes. That was a great experience.
Well, I'm so glad that you helped with that. So I was whip captain for the state. And you and Cameron were whips. Jolan Jolivette, also was a whip with us. And so that was our job to make sure that we got all the votes in for the nominee from all of our different delegates in the state. Right?
Yes, I remember that.
Where are you originally from, Brooks?
I am from West Monroe, Louisiana, in the northern part of the state, northeast.
Is that where you are now?
Yes, I go to Louisiana Tech, which is about 40 ish minutes away from where I grew up at. And I'm a junior at Tech right now.
Okay, so you have another year there?
Yes. I just finished my junior year. So I will begin my senior year this upcoming fall.
And you were on the Executive Board of College Democrats of Louisiana this year. Is that right?
Yes. Yes. In a few weeks, my tenure as vice president will end.
Are you planning to run for another office in the organization?
I will be done with College Democrats at the state level after this term ends. I've loved it. I've been involved for three years, since I came in as a freshman. And I love the experiences that I've had with it. But I will be done. I have a lot of other things going on.
Is College Democrats your first political interaction, or did you have something before that? What got you interested in politics in the first place?
I have been interested in politics since I was very young. I remember, in 2014, the runoff with Bill Cassidy and Mary Landrieu. I remember watching the race very closely. I was only 13. But I was interested in that. I really got politically engaged in the 2016 election, because I was 15. But I remember just seeing the candidate that Donald Trump was and being so appalled by him. And after he won, I was reading a lot of stuff about politics. And then when I went to college, I of course, wanted to join a political organization. And I found a College Democrats chapter on my campus. And I was I knew I wanted to get involved in political organizing. I definitely wanted to do that.
How did the pandemic hamper organizing for College Democrats over the last year?
It definitely had some serious effects on College Democrats and what we do. We were planning on an in person convention right when COVID was happening. So the the huge shutdown was like, mid March. And we had been in talks, we were planning the convention, we had the convention site, like, booked, we had, like, catering ready, we had booked some rooms, and then all of a sudden, just, you know, shut down on everything. And so at the time, we all thought COVID was going to be over, we're like, "Oh, we'll just plan one in the fall." No, we have not been able to do any in person meet and greet or events for College Democrats, for the state, or federal level. Just everything's been over zoom. And that has been unfortunate, because one of the best parts is meeting other people, you know, getting to talk with them about their experiences, what's going on. And that's that's been the biggest effect. But also, I would say it has an effect on like, how we campaign. In the 2020 election, door knocking and stuff and like events where you get to meet the candidates, they looked so different. Because you don't want to have like a big event, but at the same time, candidates and people want to organize for them. And candidates want to meet people and shake their hands and talk to them.
I think you really lose the quality of some of those interactions. When you can't be in a room together. When you can't meet the candidate in person or an elected official in person. Of course, we all like to get our photographs made these days with candidates and elected officials. But you know, the other thing about Democrats, too, is like we're such social beings, that I think it really is, even if there's not a celebrity or a famous person in the room, I think we really enjoy being in a room together and being able to interact that way. And that's probably true just for your college experience as well. Right? Just not having been able to be around other students.
Yeah, for the past year, you know, not being able to do any other kind of like events, social events. It's been difficult for sure.
Well, what what's the most memorable thing you've done so far with College Democrats?
The most memorable, I would say, was when we hosted the national convention in 2019, in New Orleans. Getting to have College Democrats from almost all 50 states, come to our state, and have a bunch of political candidates and elected officials come and talk to us, and getting to meet everybody and having them visit our City, New Orleans, was such a great experience. I loved it.
Oh, that's great. And then what do you think was the most impactful thing you've done as an organization, something that's actually helped shape Louisiana or even nationally?
Well, I would say that we did a lot of organizing in 2019 for John Bel Edwards. We made, I think it was 50,000 texts or calls. We knocked on doors. We were very involved in his campaign and making sure that he was elected, and Democrats down ballot were elected. And, of course, you know, he won by 40,000 votes, a very close election. So you know, we slightly give ourselves credit, helping him achieve his victory. We loved being a part of that.
Well, thank you for that. I think you should give yourself credit for that. From your conversations and your interactions with your peers, what what do you think inspires young voters to go out and vote?
I think young voters care a lot about policy. They really care about what specific policies a candidate or candidates are advocating for, for them to vote for someone. So if you're running for office, and feel like most younger voters, you know, lean left on a lot of issues. But just because they lean left doesn't necessarily mean that they want to vote for a Democrat. And I think that it's Democrats talking about issues and policy, tangible policies that we can pass that really excites young voters, like college affordability, and student debt. You know, I think that's one that a lot of young people really like to hear, which I think is a two part issue, dealing with college debt. Some people want to cancel some debt, some people want to cancel all of it. That's a debate that's going on in the party. But then also after that, canceling debt, or getting rid of it is only one part of the solution, because then we have to still make college affordable, or else we'll be in the same problem, you know, 20 or 30 years from now we'll be in the exact same situation we're in now. That's an issue that young voters really care about. I think climate change, specifically in a state like Louisiana, young people are very worried about. I mean, we just saw just this past week, all the flooding from Lake Charles to Baton Rouge. You see these homes that are being flooded, the streets and bridges, and it's just terrible. And it's not even hurricane season yet. It just shows how bad the the weather's getting, climate's getting, you know. Climate change is definitely really happening. And I feel like young people want our elected officials to take a serious stand against it. Because we are going to be here for a very long time. And we're gonna have to deal with the effects of it.
That's true. And it's very daunting. I know Joe Biden came into the state recently to talk about infrastructure, and that's great to shore up our crumbling infrastructure. But if we don't address the climate crisis, those bridges and those roads are meaningless at some point, if we're just all underwater. You mentioned redistricting to me before we started. Is that something that you hear young voters speak about? Or is that something that's sort of unique to you, and something that you're really interested in?
Redistricting is very important to me. And I think it should be important to every Democrat right now. Because, you know, this happens every 10 years. And we are at a significant disadvantage right now, or we're going to be next year. If you look at the control of many of the state legislatures that draw the congressional districts, Republicans have either super majorities or majorities in both of them, and they plan to draw some egregious maps to oust Democrats, so they can get control of the House of Representatives. We have a very small majority in the House. And there are more than enough seats that Republicans can gerrymander at the state level to get control at the federal level of the House. And I think that that's, of course, an immediate problem for Democrats right now. But we need to continue to advocate for fair maps, and to end partisan gerrymandering. Democrats gerrymander in some states, as well. But we are the only party that is advocating to put it to an end completely. We want to outlaw it at the federal level to where no state can be able to do that. So I think that that's a part of HR1 - I know it is - which is a huge voting rights bill. That is so important, you know, automatic voter registration, ending partisan gerrymandering, expanding absentee ballots, getting rid of voter ID laws, laws that target minorities to remain able to vote. I think that that's so important, and redistricting emphasizes the need for a bill like HR1, the For the People Act. It would take control away from the state legislatures to be able to draw the maps and it would instead go to an independent commission. There's a question about the constitutionality of such a such a bill. But it's worth trying, because this is a terrible thing that we are turning the lines of districts to favor a political party. I just think that that's terrible. And to really have a democracy, we need to have fair maps where people elect their representatives, not their representatives electing their constituents.
I agree with that. But the republicans have worked for years to get to a space where they have control over all these state legislatures across the country. So they're not going to give up the ghost on this very easily. They're going to try to really block that HR1. And so we've got to get rid of the filibuster, right in order to pass that is that. Is that where we're at really?
I understand conservative Democrats or moderate Democrats who are concerned with getting rid of a decade's long rule that both parties have abided by. However, I think that given the recent turn in the Republican Party, from being a conservative party to just being, not just the party of Trump, but just lawlessness and complete hypocrisy, shows that we are not dealing with the legitimate two party system anymore. There is one party that stands for the rule of law. And the other one has just gone on the fringes. I mean, the Republican Party, you saw how last week or two weeks ago, they ousted Liz Cheney, one of the most conservative people in the entire caucus, because of her criticism of Trump. It's just a fan club now of one person, and they will do whatever to defend, to try to stay in power. And I think that that kind of means that the Democrats can no longer say, "Oh, yeah, well, we need to keep the filibuster, that way we can do things in a bipartisan fashion." We aren't dealing with the party who wants to cooperate with us at all. And I say, it might be precedent to keep it but Mitch Mcconnell nuked the filibuster for judicial nominees. And he got away with that. So I think that it's totally fair game for us to get rid of the filibuster. Maybe not entirely, but for important issues that we know the Republicans are going to refuse to work with us on. I'm down for getting rid of it. Yes.
I mean, I think if Mitch Mcconnell was in Chuck Schumer's shoes right now, the filibuster would already be gone.
Right, I think it's a matter of time. One of the parties is going to get rid of it. And why should we let the Republicans get the first punch?
Yeah. And you mentioned Liz Cheney, meanwhile, while she's trying to move the party away from Trump, which I can get behind, she's still advocating for these voter suppression laws.
Exactly. Yes.
So if this is our time, right now, to try to pass some legislation that will make voting fairer for the average majority of Americans, it's really time that we handle that.
I want to add one more thing to that with HR1, and the For the People Act, is that Republicans are saying that it's a partisan bill, and that it would help Democrats. Well, that's not Democrats fault for allowing people to vote, because we allow people to vote, that helps us in elections. That speaks far more about the Republican Party than it does Democrats. If more people vote, you guys lose elections, that says a lot more about you than it does us. So us expanding voting isn't necessarily a partisan thing. It's a good thing for democracy. And you guys are willingly admitting that you don't want that. Because you understand if less people vote, you're more likely to win.
I agree. You're 100% on that. So I do want to go back to talking about young voters and College Democrats, mostly young voters, though. What kind of support or interaction do you feel like either the organization or young voters in general need from candidates or elected officials, or even the Democratic Party infrastructure that will allow you to be more engaged and feel like you're more a part of the solution and progress?
I think that young people would feel the most engaged, if elected officials and the Democratic party talks about issues that they care about. But I for one, think that the Democratic Party has, even in the past four years, made such tremendous attempts to court them. So I think that the Democratic Party is doing a good job. I don't think they're doing perfect. But at trying to get young voters involved, and, organizing and being politically active and politically aware, I think that one of the ways to reach young people is through social media. And I think COVID has exacerbated that. And I think that's one of the few positives is that a lot of stuff has moved online. But that's really easier to meet younger people who might not be going to in person, county party events, or you know, they're going to necessarily be going to like a Democratic luncheon for the county or the parish. But they will be seen on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter. So more engagement on social media, I think is the best way to get to get to get to them.
And just out of curiosity, if they're not turning up to a parish party or county party lunch, is that more of a financial hurdle or just not something that would be interesting?
I just think that times have kind of changed. And that's just not something that young voters see as a way of organizing. Not necessarily that they have anything against it. But those luncheons, or those county meetings, or those town meetings are usually a lot of older people, and there's just a disconnect from older members in the party who did things a different way, and the younger people who organize in a different way.
Okay, interesting. And we actually talked a little bit before the podcast about some of the data I was seeing from Voto Latino, about Latino voters in the 2020 elections, becoming the second largest voting bloc. And within that bloc, it actually was young voters who ended up turning out most. As I mentioned to you earlier, in Georgia, North Carolina, a third of all the Latino votes were from folks under 29. In Nevada, Virginia, and Colorado, a quarter of all Latino votes were under 29. And those younger voters ended up supporting Democrats at a higher percent than their counterparts in any of the other age groups. And I'm less interested in discussing with you the Latino vote so much as the conversation we were having about engaging different constituencies, and how that's something that really elected officials and candidates and the party needs to do earlier and more consistently, whether or not it's Latino voters or young voters or whatever, it's really a matter of being consistent in how your outreach is going.
Yeah, I think that targeting Latino voters is a perfect example of not looking at one demographic as a monolith, and speaking about solely those issues that you are inclined to think that they care about. So for instance, I mentioned like, you know, just assuming that all Latino voters care about the exact same issues, it's just not true. They're not a monolith. There's so many different nationalities and types of Latino voters. But that applies to other demographics as well. I think Kamala Harris said in one of the Democratic debates, "Let's talk about women's issues. Sure, I'd love to talk about the economy, or healthcare." It can seem inauthentic to just assume one demographic cares about one issue. And we really need to be in those communities asking what they care about, and hearing their needs, instead of just going there and saying, "We care about these things, because focus groups said that this would be good, and you care about this." So you know, when you're trying to court women voters, not just talking about issues that you think women will be really likely to support or agree with.
I think that's right. And I think, again, like we were saying earlier, part of the task is to find out what those constituencies need, and then try to meet those needs, instead of the other way around, going to them and telling them what you're going to do for them and what you can bring to them, basically what you're saying, assuming that you already know what they need. That's really the opposite way of, of going about doing things.
Right. And we get there through long term, constantly being involved with those communities and building relationships. Not just every four years, three months before an election, going out there and knocking on doors and saying, "Hey, we would like for your vote. We want to do these things for you. Please come vote for us on November 2," or whatever. It's 24, seven every day of the year, investing in those communities, even if it's not remotely political, just advocating for and listening to what these communities need, what they want. I think that will do a great deal for the Democratic Party. And I'm encouraged by the new DNC chair, Jaime Harrison and the incoming DNC leadership that has promised to be active and communities all the time, and to invest in voter outreach, long term. So I'm very, very pleased to hear what he's said so far.
I hope they manage to be able to do that organizing work that you're talking about. Is their work with Democratic politics, College Democrats, progressive politics that you're doing still now or that you plan to work on, are you just really gonna be focused on your studies over the next year?
I am planning on applying to law schools. So I'm very focused on that at the moment, taking the LSAT. So I am taking a little bit of a step back from a lot of like political organizing. But that doesn't mean that I want to be done with it. I love politics. I love the political world. And I hope to continue to be involved as an adult, but I don't have anything going on right now.
But I know you did say that you recently signed on to the lawsuit that the National Democratic Redistricting Committee has filed here in Louisiana to make sure that we do get fair districts in the next round of redistricting.
Yes, I did just sign on to that this past week. So I will hopefully be a plaintiff for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee's lawsuit here in Louisiana. I would really like to be a part of that.
And is that the kind of thing you might be interested in law school for?
That's a good question. What type of law? I think so. I think that that would be a very interesting part. Well, there's also plenty of action going on, look around all the lawsuits about voter suppression, and all the laws that Republicans are enacting, it definitely emphasizes the need for attorneys to defend that kind of stuff. So definitely.
As you're in law school, there will be plenty of opportunities also to work on some of those Voter Protection teams when we have elections going on. So make sure you stay connected to that. What do you think are the biggest obstacles for Democrats in Louisiana?
I think the biggest obstacle for Democrats in Louisiana, is getting rid of the connotation that Louisiana is a red state, so that we cannot elect Democrats. I think a lot of people, particularly young people, are very discouraged, because they see states as red states, blue states, or a swing state. And Louisiana is considered a red state. And it is, it votes, you know, very to the right of the nation. But because people think that it is a red state, and there's no way that it can vote blue, whether it be for Senate or for presidential, people don't want to invest in, you know, the state, and that goes for other red states as well. So young people are discouraged from wanting to move here or wanting to vote or change their registration to vote here. And I think that that is something that Democrats and young people need to work on is changing the connotation around like, "Oh, well, this is a red state, there's no it, there's no way that it's going to vote blue, so it's not worth trying." I think that's something that we can work on to change in the state, because we did elect a Democratic governor in 2019, for re-election. You know, I'm not saying that that necessarily means that we're gonna we're going to vote blue in 2024 or 2028. But it means that, given the right circumstances, there is a majority of people in Louisiana who would be willing to vote for a Democrat. And I think that speaks to, if there are long term investments in our state, there could be payoff. We have to be able to convince people that it's a possibility.
I think that's smart. And I think it's really important. What do you think our biggest opportunities are?
I think our biggest opportunity will be later this year, in regards to redistricting in Louisiana. As we talked about for a few minutes earlier, in 2019, when John Bel Edwards was elected, and Republicans failed to get super majorities in both houses, that means that unless there is some kind of deal made between Edwards and the Republican legislature, there will be fair maps. He has promised to veto a map that is gives a significant disadvantage to one party or the other. And he said he wants to take a keen interest in the redistricting. And I think that Democrats can take significant advantage of this. As you and I both know, our maps at the legislative and congressional level are very gerrymandered. If we had fair maps, it would be likely the Democrats would gain another seat in our congressional delegation. There is more than enough Democratic voters to have a second Democratic seat, potentially even a VRA seat. And that also matters at the state legislative level, because if we have fair maps, Republicans would not have a super majority in either chamber. And that's really important. And I think that it's a possibility. But if we get really fair, nonpartisan maps, Democrats can take advantage and start putting that investment that we just talked about into our state, and really electing more Democrats and that will make people feel better about Louisiana's prospects as becoming, you know, a blue state or voting blue.
I mean, it really underscores the importance of all our elections, but in particular, that that governor's election. Reelecting John Bel Edwards was huge for having fair maps in our state. And it's sometimes difficult to get people to understand those esoteric, sort of in the weeds, issues with voting, but that was a huge one for this state. All right, Brooks, who's your favorite superhero?
Oh, goodness. I really like Iron Man. I love the Iron Man movies.
Me, too! I think that's a great one. Well, I appreciate your sharing that information with me and for joining me today, Brooks. I hope you'll let me know if you're in my neck of the woods ever, if you get down to New Orleans. Good luck with your LSATs. And again, thanks for joining me today.
Thank you so much, Lynda. I appreciate that you had you had me on.
Thank you for listening to Louisiana Lefty. Please subscribe to our podcast and then follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Thanks to Ben Collinsworth for producing Louisiana Lefty, Jennifer Pack of Black Cat Studios for our Super Lefty artwork and Thousand $ Car for allowing us to use their swamp classic, Security Guard, as our Louisiana Lefty theme song.
