WINNFIELD, LA — The Kiwanis Club of Winnfield welcomed Reverend James E. Green, Democratic candidate for Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) District 5 (#19), as their guest speaker at the club’s weekly meeting on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
Green, who currently serves on the Shreveport City Council and has pastored Union Mission Baptist Church for 49 years, is running for the PSC seat being vacated by longtime commissioner Foster Campbell. He was accompanied by his campaign manager, Dr. Markey W. Pierre, DBA, MBA, a well-known policy strategist, Haughton native, and recipient of the Virginia K. Shehee Most Influential Woman Award.
Club member Dr. Bill Gaddis introduced Green, highlighting Green’s extensive background in municipal leadership and community ministry. Taking the podium, Green immediately demonstrated his appreciation for local history by detailing key milestones of the Kiwanis Club of Winnfield, noting its charter on June 22, 1954, its service in Division 11, and its three decades organizing the annual Winnfield Christmas Parade.
Centering his address on his campaign slogan—“Protect the People, Protect the Pocketbook, Protect the Power”—Green emphasized the direct financial impact the Public Service Commission has on everyday households, small businesses, and community institutions.
“Public service goes directly to your pocketbook,” Green said. “It determines how you pay your bills, and right now families on fixed incomes, seniors, and working citizens are crying out for relief as electricity and grocery bills continue to rise. I’m not anti-business; I’m pro-people. If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu. Ratepayers need a fighter in Baton Rouge who will ask utility companies the tough questions: why do you need a rate hike, and how will it help the people?”
During an open question-and-answer period, attendees raised vital questions regarding local utility fuel adjustments and the proliferation of large-scale AI data centers across North and Central Louisiana. Green took a decisive stance regarding industrial power consumption, asserting that large commercial developers must not push the financial burden of grid expansions onto residential ratepayers. “They need to bear all of the burden,” Green stated, stressing that corporate data facilities should utilize dedicated power grids or on-site generation. “They’re going to keep all the profits; they should not pass the cost to the people. Not as long as I have a vote.”
Green pledged to maintain strict transparency, vowing never to sign non-disclosure agreements that conceal utility negotiations from the public, and promised to hold regular town hall meetings across District 5 before rate cases and major infrastructure projects are finalized.
Dr. Pierre also spoke with attendees regarding collaborative energy strategies, highlighting innovative opportunities such as placing solar arrays over commercial parking facilities and expansive rooftops to reduce strain on the power grid while protecting farmland.
Green concluded by reaffirming his commitment to consumer affordability, weatherization assistance, and proactive storm-hardening for electric infrastructure across North Louisiana’s 24 parishes.
In keeping with Kiwanis tradition of providing a fair and open platform for all candidates, Dr. Gaddis noted that Green’s opponent in the District 5 election is scheduled to address the club in the coming weeks.