MANDEVILLE, La. (KPEL News) - A new, fresh face is entering the race to be Louisiana's next governor with a message that it's time to replace "leaders who are stuck in the past."

At the age of 36 years old, State Representative Richard Nelson of Mandeville has put his name into a race that is headlined by state Attorney General Jeff Landry, State Treasurer John Schroder, chair of the Senate Republican Caucus and chair of the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee Sharon Hewitt, and attorney Hunter Lundy. We are still waiting to hear if U.S. Representative Garret Graves jumps in or if a Democrat will actually jump into the race as well.

Rep. Richard Nelson, Facebook via State Representative Richard Nelson
Rep. Richard Nelson, Facebook via State Representative Richard Nelson
loading...

Rep. Nelson enters the race with a message that could resonate with many Louisiana voters: the end of the Louisiana income tax, as pointed out by lailluminator.com. He has gone on the record as saying that the state’s complicated tax structure is a reason why it continues to lose population. He also points to Louisiana's history of below average rankings and says if the state is just average then "we'd all live 4 years longer and get a 33% raise."

Louisiana has everything going for it, but is held back by leaders who are stuck in the past,” Nelson declares in his announcement video. “If Louisiana were just average in the country, we'd all live 4 years longer and get a 33% raise. That's what bad government is costing us: four years of our lives and a third of our income.”

The Mandeville representative has been in office since 2019.

Louisiana Parishes Ranked By Salaries

Starting from the lowest, here's how Louisiana Parishes stack up when you check the data for average salaries.

What Are the Largest Cities in Louisiana?

The latest census numbers show some population changes. You might be surprised by where some area cities check in on this list.

Check Out the Top 10 Cheapest Places to Live in Louisiana

More From News Talk 96.5 KPEL