Bogalusa, which lies on the Mississippi border north of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain, has struggled in recent times. As jobs disappear and the city shrinks, city decay and crime are on the rise. Six folks have been shot useless within the city final 12 months, which was double the 12 months earlier than, in keeping with the New Orleans Advocate. Eight have been fatally shot to date this 12 months, virtually all of them younger Black males like Truong.
The truth that the small city’s homicide fee is on par with that of New Orleans is what the brand new mayor says compelled him to run. Simply the opposite week, Truong was amongst these fleeing when shots rang out at a high school football game, leaving a 15-year-old useless.
“After I was in faculty, I all the time knew that I needed to run for one thing, however I by no means thought it will be this quickly,” he mentioned. “However after continuously seeing that many of the victims are folks my age, some people who I went to highschool with, and at that time, I used to be identical to, , I’ve to attempt to do one thing about this.”
Schuver mentioned the brand new mayor impressed voters throughout the marketing campaign by calling for police to be extra current in the neighborhood, not simply at crime scenes, and by suggesting concepts to maximise financial alternatives with the city’s current airport and a brand new interstate hall.
“I would not be shocked if sometime you do not see him operating for a lot bigger races on the road as effectively,” Schuver mentioned. “Any individual that younger may make errors alongside the road, however I feel even those who did not help him must agree that he is bought head on his shoulders.”
Truong could also be younger, however he had an impressive résumé earlier than his election. He attended Washington College in St. Louis, the place he earned a bachelor’s diploma in political science and served as pupil physique president. He then interned on Capitol Hill and labored as a teacher at a local school.
The brand new mayor says he’s subverting the stereotype that younger persons are apathetic to politics or social change. “We’re fired up proper now as a result of there are such a lot of issues going mistaken in our nation and we all know that we now have to reside with the impression,” he mentioned.
He’s additionally grateful that voters of all ages put their religion in him to run Bogalusa, and he hopes to make his fellow Gen Z’ers proud.
“It is not misplaced on me the accountability to characterize my era effectively, as a result of I do know that there are lots of people which can be nonetheless skeptical and also you’re ready to see what occurs,” Truong mentioned. “It is humbling and it is also an enormous accountability, however I am not going to take it evenly.”
