This fall, Shreveport/Caddo voters will fill a remarkable number of seats. The Shreveport Mayor’s office; District Attorney for the First Judicial District; seats on the Shreveport City Council; the Caddo Parish School Board, and the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Together, those decisions will shape how the region is kept safe, how its streets and pipes are repaired, how its children are taught, and how much its homes and businesses pay to keep the lights on.

The Chamber does not take a position on candidates for office. Its commitment is to the process. An informed and educated electorate, the Chamber believes, is vital to the robust exercise of democracy, and this initiative gives member businesses and the voting public a direct line to the people seeking office.

That is why the Greater Shreveport Chamber is presenting its 2026 Election Education Initiative; a series of candidate interviews and live forums built on a simple idea: let the candidates speak for themselves. The interviews are already online. All Candidates from all five offices were invited to sit down for recorded conversations. While the questions differed by office the same 12 questions were asked of the candidates in each race. The Chamber’s website organizes the answers by question, so voters can hear each candidate’s view on a single issue, one after another, and compare them directly.

The questions are specific. Mayoral candidates were asked how they would manage a roughly $700 million operating budget, meet long-term water and sewer obligations, and move the long-awaited I-49 Inner-City Connector forward. District Attorney candidates were asked to address violent crime, juvenile offenses, diversion programs, and the growing threat of fraud and cybercrime. School board hopefuls discussed student achievement, career and technical education, teacher retention, and artificial intelligence in the classroom. Public Service Commission candidates weighed grid resilience, data centers, and keeping utility rates competitive. City Council candidates took on blight, permitting, and balancing district needs with citywide priorities. See them here – https://www.shreveportchamber.org/decision2026/

In October, the conversation moves to the stage with three Mayoral forums, each centered on an issue that shapes daily life and long-term prosperity:

Public Safety | Tuesday, October 13, 6:30 p.m. | KTAL at Southern University

Economic Development | Wednesday, October 14, 7:00 p.m. | KSLA at Centenary College

Infrastructure | Thursday, October 15, 9:00 p.m. | KTBS at Louisiana State University Shreveport

Admission is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. Register for each forum you plan to attend; if you want to attend more than one, select each event when registering. And plan to arrive early because doors close 15 minutes before each forum begins. You can register at this link. https://web.shreveportchamber.org/atlas/events/2026-televised-mayoral-forum-3139/details

Watch the interviews. Take a seat at a forum. Visit the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Voter Portal – Geauxvote.com to confirm your polling place and districts. Then walk into the voting booth knowing not just who is on the ballot, but what they plan to do.