Take a closer look at the Alexandria City Council District 3 race

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – The District 3 seat on the Alexandria City Council could potentially see a new face as candidate Steven Chark looks to challenge incumbent City Councilwoman Cynthia Perry in the November election.

“We haven’t seen any economic development in District 3,” Chark said. “Crime is at an all-time high. We are 246% above the national average. As far as after-school programs go, we have no after-school programs.”

Chark said he wants to implement a youth cadet program, similar to the Louisiana National Guard’s Youth Challenge Program in Pineville.

“You have young men and women shadowing the Alexandria Police Department at a young age,” he said. “I think we have to reach them around 4th or 5th grade. We have to change the fact that they see violence on a daily basis.”

In her re-election campaign, part of City Council Perry’s focus is to make changes to the City Council as a whole.

“You know, it can’t be three, it can’t be four, it has to be all seven,” she said. “I tried to make an ordinance, just for the summer and winter months, where the people wouldn’t disconnect their electricity grids, but it didn’t go through. We have to have compassion.”

The 2024 election will look very similar to the 2020 election. In 2020, Chark defeated Perry in the primary, but received only 45 percent of the vote and not the 50 percent required to win. This prompted a runoff, and Perry ultimately won the seat with 57 percent of the vote.

But for her, the strategies never changed.

“I don’t know what the future holds with this election. All I know is that we didn’t change any strategies during the transition. We got out, we regrouped, we went door to door, we stood on corners, we did things like made us visible,” she said.

According to Chark, this election will not have a round.

“This election is going to be a straight candidate, a straight win one way or another,” he said. “The people, they thought or assumed I had the most votes, which I did. They didn’t realize it was a runoff. So everything happens for a reason. I’m going to go with this new district.”

For voting information and how to register to vote, go to “GeauxVote.com.” Early voting for the November election begins October 18-29. Election day is November 5.

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