Bruce Conque wants another go at it. The former District 6 councilman who is arguably as involved with and knowledgeable about Lafayette civics as anyone, made official on Monday what most of us have known for months: He will seek election to his old seat on the City-Parish Council in the October election.
“District 6 deserves an effective Council representative who understands the district’s needs and concerns and recognizes that those are different for every neighborhood,” Conque says in a release announcing his candidacy. “I humbly offer myself as that person. I pledge to respond to every communication and to conduct regular ‘listen and learn’ sessions in District 6 to make certain all constituents’ needs are heard.”
Conque currently serves as chairman of the Lafayette Planning Commission. He was first elected to the council in 2003, handily winning re-election four years later. He vacated his seat to take a job as a vice president with the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, now called One Acadiana, serving often as a liaison between the business group and local government. Conque also played an active role in the process that led to Lafayette Consolidated Government’s acquisition of the Horse Farm property, was an early and vocal supporter of LUS Fiber and served as vice chairman of the Lafayette Charter Commission.
He notes that demographics in District 6, the only CPC district wholly within the boundaries of the city of Lafayette, have changed since he was first elected as an independent candidate 12 years ago.
“Forty one percent of registered voters in District 6 are age 40 and under; a dramatic shift since I first served on the Council in 2004,” Conque says. “They are our future: young people who value our history, art and culture and who want a say in the future growth of our community. And, certainly, the needs and desires of our established residents who have contributed to our success must also be recognized and served. I’m asking the voters in District 6 to elect me to represent them on the Council; to support the 20-year vision of PlanLafayette; and to help develop the big picture that I see of a dynamic community that plans for the future while embracing our unique history.”
The current seat holder for District 6, Andy Naquin, has not indicated (to our knowledge) whether he will seek re-election.
Check out Conque’s Facebook page here.