In a significant political development, State Sen. Cleo Fields, a Democrat from Baton Rouge, has declared his candidacy for Congress in Louisiana's recently redrawn 6th Congressional District. Fields, who previously served in the U.S. House from 1993 to 1997, has decided to enter the race following the passing of a bill signed by Republican Governor Jeff Landry that turns the district into a majority Black constituency.

The redrawing of the district happened after the 4th Congressional District was deemed an unconstitutional racial gerrymander and invalidated. Until now, Louisiana had only one majority Black district. However, with the new bill, the 6th District will now stretch from Caddo Parish in northwest Louisiana to East Baton Rouge Parish.

The approved map still requires the final approval of a federal judge who had ordered the redrawing of the district. However, attorneys representing the Black voters who challenged the previous single Black-majority congressional map have indicated that they are unlikely to object. They argue that their data shows both majority Black districts can have candidates supported by Black voters, aligning with the objective of redistricting to create such constituencies.

Fields, an attorney with a long political history, has served in the Louisiana state Senate multiple times, from 1988 to 1993, from 1997 to 2008, and currently from 2020 onwards. Despite being a liberal Democrat, Fields has shown a willingness to work with Republican Governor Landry, which led to him being appointed as the chair of the Senate and Governmental Affairs committee. In this role, Fields oversaw the redistricting process that resulted in the creation of the new majority Black district.

It is expected that Fields will face competition in the race, with Republican U.S. Rep. Garret Graves who currently holds the 6th District indicating his intention to run for reelection. Additionally, Gary Chambers, a former U.S. Senate candidate, has been rumored to be considering a bid for the seat.

Fields' political career has also been marred by a connection to former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards, who was convicted and sentenced to prison for racketeering. Fields was caught on an FBI surveillance tape accepting around $20,000 in cash from Edwards, though he was never charged with a crime. This incident has followed Fields throughout his decades-long political journey.

As the race for the newly redrawn 6th Congressional District begins to take shape, all eyes will be on the candidates and how they articulate their platforms and engage with the diverse constituency encompassing both urban and rural areas of Louisiana.