Priscilla Gonzalez

Data centers can bring investment, construction jobs, and long-term economic opportunities to Louisiana, but they also create concerns about electricity demand, water usage, infrastructure, and environmental impacts. We need responsible development, transparency, and strong oversight to ensure communities benefit economically while protecting Louisiana’s natural resources and quality of life.

Louisiana’s coast is our first line of defense against hurricanes, and protecting it must remain a federal, state, and local priority. I support fully funding proven coastal restoration, rebuilding wetlands and barrier islands, using sediment wisely, strengthening levees, and expanding natural buffers. We also need resilient infrastructure and assistance for communities facing repeated flooding. Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan provides a science-based framework, and current plans include marsh creation, dredging, barrier-island restoration, and flood-risk reduction. ([coastal.la.gov][1]) As a leader, I would fight for federal resources, accountability, and timely completion of these projects because protecting our coast means protecting our homes, livelihoods, culture, and economy.

Louisiana’s rivers, lakes, bayous, and wetlands are essential to our economy, our environment, and our way of life. If elected to Congress, I will work to protect and restore these vital waterways by supporting funding for water-quality monitoring, wastewater and drinking-water infrastructure, wetland restoration, and stronger enforcement against pollution. I will also work with federal, state, and local officials to address aging water systems and ensure communities have access to safe, reliable drinking water. We must hold polluters accountable while supporting the industries and communities that depend on Louisiana’s waterways. I will advocate for federal resources for coastal restoration, flood protection, and projects that improve water quality, while making sure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly and transparently. Protecting Louisiana’s water is not a partisan issue—it is about protecting our families, our economy, our wildlife, and future generations.

Yes. Elected officials have an important role in helping the public understand and trust credible scientific information, especially when decisions affect public health, the environment, infrastructure, and our economy. That role is not to tell scientists what conclusions to reach, but to make sure scientific expertise is heard and communicated honestly. If elected, I would work with scientists, universities, public-health experts, engineers, environmental researchers, and other qualified professionals when developing policy. I would support public forums and accessible explanations of scientific findings so constituents can ask questions and understand how evidence is being used in government decisions. I also believe transparency is essential: we should distinguish established facts from areas where scientists are still studying the evidence, acknowledge uncertainty when it exists, and correct misinformation with facts rather than politics. My goal would be to make science a resource for better decision-making while respecting the public’s right to ask questions and expect accountability from their elected officials.

Community-based institutions such as K–12 schools and community colleges can play a critical role in strengthening science, research, and innovation across Louisiana. If elected to Congress, I would support policies that give students greater access to hands-on science education, technology, laboratories, and career and technical training, regardless of where they live or their family’s income. I would support increased federal investment in STEM programs, modern laboratory and technology infrastructure, teacher training, and partnerships between schools, community colleges, universities, local businesses, and research institutions. Community colleges can also provide affordable pathways into high-demand fields such as engineering, healthcare, environmental science, energy, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing. Louisiana’s students should not have to leave their communities to find opportunity. By strengthening our schools and community colleges, we can prepare students for good-paying careers, support local research and innovation, and build a stronger workforce for the future.

Alternative energy should be part of Louisiana’s energy future, alongside the oil and natural gas industries that remain important to our state’s economy. My priority would be making sure families and businesses have access to reliable, affordable energy while supporting innovation and protecting Louisiana’s workers and communities. If elected to Congress, I would support responsible investment in solar, wind, energy efficiency, battery storage, and other technologies that can expand Louisiana’s energy options. I would also support research and workforce development that allows Louisiana workers to participate in emerging energy industries rather than having opportunities created elsewhere. Louisiana has an opportunity to use its natural resources, existing energy expertise, and skilled workforce to compete in a changing energy economy. Federal policy should encourage innovation, maintain reliability, protect consumers from unnecessary cost increases, and ensure that South Louisiana communities and workers share in the economic benefits of new energy development.