Urban League Of Louisiana Calls Out GOP Candidate Jeff Landry’s Sorry Excuse For Skipping Debate

The National Urban League has called out the GOP candidate for Louisiana governor, the state’s current Attorney General Jeff Landry, for being a no-show at the gubernatorial debate on Sept. 7. The state’s Republican Party claims that the civil rights organization boasts ‘anti-Trump’ sentiments and, therefore, must be boycotted.

However, contrary to the GOP’s “nonsensical” claims, The National Urban League, formerly called the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan group dedicated to ensuring all underserved groups and their civil liberties are upheld and uplifted. The historic civil rights organization’s mission is to hold politicians accountable for their work and make all marginalized people aware of how it impacts them.

The president of the WWL-TV station broadcasting the event, Tod Smith, and the leader of the Louisiana chapter of the Urban League, Judy Reese Morse, spoke against the wrongful claims made by Landry and the GOP. They emphasized that journalists, who were formerly objective, were curating and asking the candidates questions, none of which were influenced by any advocacy group.

Still adamant in their stance, the conservative group encouraged all GOP candidates vying for governor to not engage with the debate and give validity to the “radical” Urban League, as reported by Nola. Landry, who is ahead in many polls, proclaimed that he would not be in attendance due to the league’s liberalism.

“Media reports say their programs elected Democrats and their leadership and lobbying has been anti-Trump, anti-Second Amendment and soft on crime, which is devastating our cities and rural communities,” shared Landry’s communications director.

Despite this, Morse stated that this is not the first political event her chapter has hosted, as letting candidates showcase their platform to voters, no matter if it aligns with their own values, is the main priority. Anchors for the news station were co-hosts at the event.

Landry’s Republican opponents also did not withdraw from the debate, a move implying that the extreme sentiments regarding the communal organization are not universally shared among conservatives.

As for the Louisiana branch of the National Urban League, they are preparing for a Black and Brown Voter Registration Day across numerous cities within the state on Sept.16.