Nathan Stubbs

Constitution Party's Peter Vidrine enters Congressional race

by Nathan Stubbs

U.S. Constitution Party candidate Peter Vidrine is announcing his run for the 7th Congressional District seat this morning at City Hall in Eunice. The Eunice native and owner of the technical services company Sirius Technologies is making his second bid for Congress. Because the U.S. Constitution Party isn’t recognized by the state, Vidrine’s name will appear on the Nov. 4 general election ballot without a party listed. Vidrine first ran as a Republican in 1996 in an eight-candidate field, garnering just over 5,000 votes. He has since switched over to the Constitution Party, and is promoting a more libertarian and protectionist economic policy, including a moratorium on immigration, closing the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, withdrawing from the World Trade Organization and the United Nations and cutting off aid to foreign countries.

Vidrine was an early supporter of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul in the Republican presidential primary is working to build on the grassroots network that Paul established in the state. On his Web site, Vidrine has adopted the slogan, “Because Freedom isn’t just another word” and keeps a running tally of the gross national debt, the cost of the Iraq war and rising gas prices. Vidrine says his two biggest issues will be cracking down on unjust credit bureau and banking practices and oil price speculation that he says is leading to high gas prices. “What I’m interested in is helping the working class and the poor,” he says. “This race isn’t about conservative or liberal or Democrat or Republican, it’s just a matter of right and wrong and we’re in a wrong situation right now that needs to be corrected."