In the race to lead the government of the most populated parish in Louisiana, one mayoral candidate's voting record — or lack thereof — has drawn criticism.
Baton Rouge mayoral hopeful Sid Edwards has not cast a ballot in more than 8.5 years, Secretary of State records show.
Edwards has polled significantly ahead of other Republicans in the race. But one of his GOP rivals, Nathaniel Hearn, criticized Edwards' disengagement in a prime-time TV ad this week during the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Edwards said he has not voted because he became disillusioned by the political scene. While some might find his decision not to vote for so long concerning, he calls his decision to get involved now his "most important" one.
After qualifying for the election in July, Edwards quickly garnered support from the local arm of the GOP, securing an endorsement from the East Baton Rouge Parish Republican Party, chaired by former state Rep. Woody Jenkins.
Edwards says he is "not a politician." His name recognition does not come from the political arena but instead as a longtime high school football coach — currently at Baton Rouge's Istrouma High School.
When asked about his lack of voting, he says he grew "apolitical," and instead decided his focus on bettering the lives of the players he coaches would be his contribution to making a difference rather than participating in elections.
"I just said, 'OK, this is my contribution to the world and is what I'm gonna do,'" he said. "I just feel I represent the millions of people out there who gave up on the political system because it's so corrupt and filled with false promises."
Edwards has been a registered voter in East Baton Rouge Parish since 1995, records show. The last election of any kind he participated in was the 2016 March primary, but he did not vote in the November election that was headlined by Donald Trump's win over Hillary Clinton.
Since then, Edwards sat out 25 elections.
All six other candidates for the mayor's seat have participated in multiple elections since 2016, records show.
Incumbent Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and Ted James — both Democrats who have held office for at least a decade in their careers — have voted in nearly all 60-plus elections on record going back to 1999.
The coach said his lack of participation was a conscious decision, but recently, he changed his mind and decided he might be the best person to lead the parish.
"I got disgusted with the stuff that was going on. (Whether) it was the right decision or wrong decision," Edwards said. "But at some point, you know, we can't turn over the government to people with the wrong values ... (you) have to get involved."
A poll commissioned by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber at the end of August for its mayoral forum found Edwards had gained early support. It found he was tied at 23% with James, behind Broome's 29%.
Edwards, who is one of three Republicans in the race alongside Steve Myers and Hearn, said Thursday he was aware of the ad criticizing him and received calls from people upset about it.
"I haven't ran from it … I mean, (Hearn) didn't tell a lie," he said about the ad. "But he didn't tell the why."