South Louisiana News

Eric McVicker, a GOP strategist and community advocate, said that Public Service Commission candidate Julie Quinn's past conflicts of interest showed a "history of putting personal gain ahead" above the public good. 

Quinn, a former State Senator, is attempting to re-enter public service this fall seeking the District 2 seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC). 

"Julie Quinn's past conflicts of interest demonstrate a troubling pattern of prioritizing private business interests over the public good," McVicker told South Louisiana News. "When someone in public office blurs those lines, it erodes trust in the very institutions they are meant to serve. Louisiana can’t afford leadership that has a history of putting personal gain ahead of what’s best for the community."

According to a prior report from South Louisiana News, in her last year as a State Senator, Quinn was "instrumental" in drafting new insurance and bonding requirements for companies receiving grants under Louisiana's $750 million Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. 

Quinn had been hired earlier that year as an attorney for Orleans Shoring, the largest home-elevation firm in the state, at the time. The new requirements, according to the Times-Picayune editorial board noted that the new requirements benefitted her new employer.

An editorial from the Times' editorial board stated that Quinn shouldn't "blur ethical lines" and noted that her efforts in passing the new requirements benefitted her employer, Orleans Shoring. They state that Quinn "would have been wise to keep more distance as the state crafted new rules for contractors. If she had, it would be much easier for consumers to take her at her word that she was putting them first."

Quinn, a Republican, will face Republican Senator Jean-Paul Coussan of Lafayette and Democrat Nick Laborde for the District 2 seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission during the November general election. If no candidate reaches the 50 percent threshold, the top two vote receivers will advance to a runoff. 

Eric McVicker is a seasoned GOP Strategist, political consultant, and community advocate with over 15 years of experience in political campaigns, nonprofit, and governmental affairs work. He has served as a key strategist for more than 100 political campaigns. A graduate of LSU and Loyola University’s Institute of Politics, McVicker has also served on multiple nonprofit boards.