Lindsay Garcia
DemocraticQ1 There are currently over 20 data centers in Louisiana, with major companies recently announcing investments of $3.6 billion to $10 billion to build data centers in the state. How, if at all, do you see data centers impacting Louisiana’s, and the wider United States’, economy, livelihoods and environment?
I’m skeptical of the push to build more data centers in Louisiana. A multibillion-dollar announcement doesn’t answer the questions families deserve answers to: How many permanent jobs will local residents actually get? What happens to their electricity bills? And what will these facilities mean for their water, land, and health? Construction jobs can bring meaningful income, but we have to look at what remains once construction ends. We also have to weigh any economic benefits against public subsidies and the cost of expanding power, water, and other infrastructure. Working families should never be left carrying the financial risk for some of the wealthiest companies in the world. I’m especially concerned about the demand for electricity, potential water use, and pollution associated with additional power generation. Louisiana communities deserve clean air, safe drinking water, and reliable, affordable utilities. Residents need independent assessments, full transparency, and a meaningful say before projects move forward. There are privacy concerns, too. As companies expand their ability to store and process information, people deserve clear protections over how their personal data is collected, used, and shared, along with accountability when those protections are violated. Nationally, data centers support AI and other digital services, but that growth raises serious questions about who benefits and who bears the costs. Greater corporate investment doesn’t automatically translate into better livelihoods, particularly when the technologies being developed can also displace workers.
Q2 Louisiana has the highest rate of wetlands loss in the United States, and within the past 100 years, Louisiana’s barrier islands have decreased in area by more than 40 percent. Among other things, coastal land loss puts people and property at higher risk of being impacted by hurricanes; this was acknowledged in 2017, when the then-government declared a state of emergency for the Louisiana coast. Shoreline restoration and the management of natural buffer zones has shown promise in lessening the damage from hurricanes. What strategies, if any, would you support as a leader to protect our coastal communities?
Protecting Louisiana’s coast means protecting people’s homes, livelihoods, and ability to stay in the communities they love. Families shouldn’t have to wonder whether the next hurricane will take everything they’ve worked for. I would fight for sustained federal funding to restore wetlands, rebuild barrier islands, and strengthen the natural buffers that help protect coastal communities. That work needs to go hand in hand with maintaining levees, improving drainage, and investing in flood protection. We need to fund maintenance for the long term, too. Restoration decisions should be guided by science and shaped by the people who live and work along the coast. Fishermen, tribal communities, local residents, and small-business owners deserve a meaningful voice from the beginning. Projects need careful review of their effects on fisheries, salinity, and local livelihoods, with public monitoring and adjustments when necessary. I would also support funding to elevate homes, strengthen public infrastructure, improve evacuation routes, and keep flood insurance affordable. Lower-income families and smaller communities need help accessing those resources before disaster strikes. For residents facing repeated flooding who want to relocate, voluntary buyouts should provide fair compensation and practical help finding a safe place to live. People deserve choices that respect their finances, family ties, and community history. In Congress, I would push for reliable coastal funding and clear accountability for how that money is spent. Every year we delay leaves families exposed and makes the work ahead more difficult.
Q3 Louisiana is a state inextricably tied to its waterways, whether it be through fishing, tourism, irrigation, or the water we all need to drink. What actions, if any, will you take to ensure the health of Louisiana’s rivers and lakes?
Clean water is a basic responsibility of government. In Louisiana, the health of our rivers and lakes affects what comes out of our faucets, whether our fishing businesses survive, and whether families can safely enjoy the places they grew up visiting. In Congress, I would fight for federal investment to repair aging drinking water and wastewater systems, especially in rural and underserved communities. Small towns often know what needs fixing but lack the funding and staff to get it done. They need help accessing resources before a system fails. I would also support strong enforcement of clean water protections and hold polluters accountable for cleaning up the damage they cause. Residents deserve accessible, independent water testing, public results, and timely notification when contamination is found. A family should never have to find out about a water problem through a neighbor’s Facebook post. Protecting our waterways also means addressing what washes into them. I would support restoring wetlands and streamside vegetation, improving stormwater management, and helping farmers adopt practices that reduce fertilizer runoff and soil erosion. Those efforts should include financial and technical assistance so farmers can protect the water while keeping their operations viable. For major industrial and energy projects, I would push for transparent review of their effects on water supplies, including the combined impact of facilities operating near the same communities. But reviewing the risks is only part of the responsibility. I support strengthening the EPA’s funding, staffing, and enforcement authority so it can investigate violations, enforce protections, and hold polluters accountable. Companies responsible for contamination should pay for the cleanup and measures needed to protect affected communities, with ongoing monitoring to ensure the damage is actually addressed. Those costs should never be left to residents and taxpayers. Residents, fishermen, and tribal communities deserve a meaningful voice in these decisions and clear answers when their water is threatened. Short-term economic gains cannot justify lasting harm to people’s health, livelihoods, and drinking water. Louisiana’s waterways sustain families and entire local economies. Protecting them has to be an everyday commitment, backed by funding, oversight, and action when something goes wrong.
Q4 Do you think elected officials have a role in working with scientists to build the general public’s trust in science? How, if at all, do you envision working with scientists?
Yes. Elected officials have a responsibility to seek out credible scientific evidence, understand it, and explain how it informs our decisions. That also means being honest about what we don’t know and being willing to change course when the evidence changes. As an educator, I know people need room to ask questions without being dismissed. Trust grows when experts explain their work in plain language, listen to people’s concerns, and acknowledge uncertainty. Officials undermine that trust when they cherry-pick findings to defend a decision they’ve already made. In Congress, I would seek input from researchers at Louisiana’s universities, public health professionals, coastal scientists, and other relevant experts when developing legislation and reviewing major projects. I would also bring scientists into community conversations so residents can ask questions directly about issues affecting their water, health, property, and livelihoods. Scientific expertise and local knowledge both matter. A fisherman who has watched a waterway change over decades or a neighborhood reporting recurring flooding deserves to be heard. Those observations can help researchers identify questions that need closer study. I would push for publicly funded research to be accessible and for funding sources and potential conflicts of interest to be disclosed. People should be able to see the evidence behind a recommendation and understand why I made a particular decision. My job would be to weigh that evidence carefully, explain the tradeoffs, and remain accountable to the people affected.
Q5 What role, if any, do you see community-based institutions like K–12 schools and community colleges playing a role in strengthening science and research across our state, and what policies, if any, would you support for these institutions?
As a former educator, I see schools and community colleges as essential to building Louisiana’s scientific talent. A child’s opportunity to explore science shouldn’t depend on their ZIP code or whether their school can afford lab equipment. K–12 schools give students the foundation to ask questions, evaluate evidence, and understand the world around them. Teachers need the time, resources, and support to make that learning meaningful. In Congress, I would support federal investment in science labs, reliable broadband, classroom materials, and professional development, along with teacher recruitment and retention in communities struggling to fill positions. I would also support partnerships that connect schools with Louisiana’s universities, community colleges, and scientists. Students could investigate local water quality, study flooding, or learn how coastal restoration works. Seeing science applied to something happening in their own neighborhood can make a career in research feel within reach. Community colleges are especially important because they serve recent graduates, working parents, and adults preparing for a new career. They can train the laboratory technicians, healthcare workers, and environmental monitoring specialists who help turn research into practical work. I would support affordable tuition, modern equipment, paid internships, and clear transfer pathways into four-year science and engineering programs. Those opportunities need to be accessible to students who can’t afford to work for free or travel far from home. Partnerships with employers should lead to recognized credentials and good-paying jobs, with skills that remain useful as industries change. Too many of our young people feel they have to leave Louisiana to build a future. I want us to give them reasons to stay: a strong education, good-paying jobs, and opportunities to build a life in the communities they call home.
Q6 Energy affordability is a significant issue among our communities, with costs rising across the state and nation. Alternative sources of energy (such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, or geothermal) may help with affordability. What role, if any, do you see alternative forms of energy playing in Louisiana’s future?
I see renewable energy playing an important role in Louisiana’s future, especially if we make decisions around what families can afford. People need reliable electricity and a monthly bill they can manage. Louisiana has the opportunity to build a more diverse energy economy that includes solar, wind, and other technologies where they make practical and financial sense. Each project should be evaluated honestly, including the cost of transmission, storage, and maintenance. Families deserve clear evidence of how an investment will affect their bills. In Congress, I would support investment in clean energy, a stronger electric grid, and energy storage. I would also support weatherization and efficiency programs that help families lower their energy use. Better insulation and more efficient heating and cooling can make a real difference, particularly for people living in older homes. Renters and lower-income households need access to those savings, too. These investments should create opportunities for Louisiana workers. Our energy workforce has valuable experience, and I would support paid training and apprenticeships that help workers move into new roles without leaving their communities or taking on unaffordable debt. Development also has to respect landowners and the people living nearby. Communities deserve meaningful input, clear environmental protections, and accountability for any public money invested. I want Louisiana to remain an energy leader while giving families more affordable options. That means supporting projects that can demonstrate lasting savings, reliable service, good-paying jobs, and cleaner air and water.
