The following is an opinion article, and opinion articles do not reflect the views of The Tulane Hullabaloo.

Students will have the opportunity to vote for either Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu or Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy in the Louisiana Senate runoff election on Saturday. Whoever wins the election will not only have an important voice within Louisiana, but will be in a dynamic position of influence. Cassidy best captures the interests of students in Louisiana, and he deserves their votes.

Cassidy’s stances on many issues that pertain to Tulane University and Louisiana must be addressed in Washington. His stances on taxes, education and energy are vital to the future of the state, and thus, to Tulane. Mary Landrieu, with her record of voting with President Barack Obama 97 percent of the time, has hurt Louisiana.

One of the greatest problems facing college students is finding ways to pay tuition. This is an especially serious problem for students at Tulane who pay some of the highest tuition in the country. Cassidy commits himself to lowering taxes, and has even pledged not to raise them to increase revenue. Landrieu, however, has made no such pledge, and she consistently votes to raise taxes.

Another issue that has a direct effect on Tulane is federal education policy. Tulane focuses on serving the state of Louisiana and especially New Orleans. Both suffer from low-quality public schooling. Cassidy has pledged to combat the Department of Education’s bureaucratic control over public schools in the United States in favor of allowing more options for students, teachers and families.

This issue is pressing not only for Louisiana, but also for the country as a whole. Cassidy’s commitment to improving education nationwide will not only improve our future students’ prospects, but also ensure people at all levels of income have an equal opportunity to attend prestigious colleges like Tulane.

Cassidy also serves on the House Dyslexia Caucus and advocates for policies to support students who have learning disabilities and provide them with equal opportunities.

Cassidy’s proposed energy policies will prove to be one of the most vital issues for Tulane, as well as for the state of Louisiana. While Landrieu claims to have “clout” on the Senate Energy Committee, she has done little to prove this is true. The oil industry employs 412,000 Louisianans and brings in $24 billion annually. Cassidy has proposed bills from the House to expand drilling that have failed in the Senate Energy Committee. Tulane has many investments in the fossil fuel industry and benefits from Cassidy’s stance. Alumni in this industry also donate money to Tulane, stressing the importance of fossil fuels to our community.

With the election not far off, it is clear that the country has not done well under the control of Landrieu and other Democrats. The future of Tulane and its students is at stake if Landrieu is able to make it back to the Senate for another term. Bill Cassidy is the right choice for the Tulane student body. I’m going to vote for Cassidy, because no matter what happens, Bill is for us. 

Jack Newell is a sophomore in the Newcomb-Tulane College. He can be reached at [email protected].