2023 year includes governor, parish president, sheriff and more
Cromer fundraising overtakes Cooper
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – With only seven months to go until the big election night on Oct. 14, there remains only two announced candidates running for parish president in St. Tammany.
But it doesn’t appear there needs to be much more in what is already shaping up as a heated, intense affair between incumbent Mike Cooper and challenger Greg Cromer.
Campaign finance reports came out in the past month and Cromer immediately touted the fact he raised more money in 2022 than Cooper did. However, Cooper responded by noting he hadn’t really started focusing on fundraising until 2023 kicked off and has no concerns about the difference.
The comments back-and-forth are a slow increase in the rhetoric from either side to defend their past performance and assure voters they both believe they are the man for the job when the next four-year term begins in 2024.
The most recent campaign finance reports showed that Cromer raised a strong total of $267,500 in 2022, adding to $47,000 he already had in his war chest.
After spending $37,320 in 2022 for campaign expenses, he headed into 2023 with a total of $276,693, compared to a $169,341 total for Cooper.
Cromer said he has spent an average of three evenings a week on the west side of the parish, meeting different organizations and getting his message out.
“And I’ve been well received,” he said, acknowledging the fact he will have to make a dent in Cooper’s popularity on the west side. “People are looking for a change in leadership for this parish and I know I can handle that job.”
Cooper started 2022 with $122,271 in his campaign account and brought in $102,250 of contributions during the 12 months of the past year, but he has stated since last year that he is focused on doing the job as parish president for now.
“I’m confident I will have the money to run this race, but at this time I have been giving my attention to running our parish government,” he said. “I view a re-election campaign as an opportunity to tout our accomplishments on behalf of the people of St. Tammany Parish.”
Cooper is finishing the final year of his first term and planned all along to run for a second term. It came as a surprise to many when Cromer announced last spring that he would challenge Cooper for the top parish job, a decision that went public right after Cromer was re-elected Slidell mayor with no opposition.
Cooper has had his share of challenges during the first three years, governing during the pandemic and having several run-ins with the Parish Council, getting to the point that he demanded an apology from them after one incident.
Cromer is seen as highly popular on the east side of the parish and said he was urged by many business leaders to run for the job.
“When someone has the chance to do a job and it doesn’t work out, the opportunity is there for someone else to step in, and I think I’m the best person to do it,” he said.
While it is appearing unlikely any other well-known candidate will enter the race, there is still the possibility that Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany President Rick Franzo could upset things should he decide to get in.
Franzo told The Slidell Independent in recent months that he had been seriously considering a run for the job, but his latest comments are suggesting he is going to allow the two-man race to take place. However, he has yet to definitively state he will not run.
Former Parish Council President Mike Lorino also was seriously considering a run for parish president, but announced late last year he will not join the election.