Breaux Bridge native Scott Angelle resigned Wednesday from his post as the head of the Department of Natural Resources to run for a spot on the Public Service Commission. Scott Angelle confirmed Thursday that he resigned from his cabinet position as the head of the Department of Natural Resources to seek a seat on the Public Service Commission.
Angelle, a Republican and Breaux Bridge native who has held the DNR post for more than eight years while also working as Gov. Bobby Jindal's chief legislative lobbyist, tells Baton Rouge Business Report that the District 2 seat on the Public Service Commission is an ideal place to "expand his role" in civil service.
He'll face Lafayette businessman Ed Roy and Baton Rouge Republican state Rep. Erich Ponti, who announced his candidacy for PSC Wednesday. According to BRBR, Angelle has more than $330,000 in his campaign coffers, roughly $56,000 more than Ponti:
"Today I really begin my fundraising efforts, because I definitely did not want to spend any of my time fundraising while I was secretary," he says. "I look to have a very, very robust campaign fundraising drive over the next 45 days."
Angelle says the PSC "operates at the intersection" of what he calls "the three E's: energy, environment and economy. And when it's done the right way, it can create jobs and stimulate investment in a sustainable way."
Many prominent Louisiana politicians-including former Govs. Huey Long, John McKeithen and Kathleen Blanco-have used the five-member, independent regulatory agency as a stepping-stone in their careers.
Read more here.