Lanus Charts Bold Path to Rebuild Louisiana Democrats from the Ground Up

BATON ROUGE, La. — With the Louisiana Democratic Party at a crossroads, Executive Director Dadrius Lanus is doing more than talking about change—he’s building a movement.

In a sharply focused plan unveiled this week, Lanus rejected business-as-usual politics and outlined a comprehensive strategy to redefine what it means to be a Democrat in Louisiana. His message is unapologetically local, unapologetically inclusive, and unapologetically bold.

“This isn’t about Democrat or Republican—it’s about who’s willing to fight for the everyday people of this state,” Lanus said. “If you’re not listening to the people, if you’re not showing up in the places others have ignored, you’re not ready to lead Louisiana.”

That philosophy is at the heart of the “Fight for Our Lives” tour, a statewide initiative that will take Lanus and his team deep into Louisiana’s rural parishes—many of which have been dismissed by both parties as unreachable. Lanus is betting on something different: that listening, presence, and accountability will do what national talking points and top-down campaigns have failed to do—restore trust.

“This time, we’re not starting with urban strongholds. We’re going to the places where people say Democrats don’t belong,” Lanus said. “We’re showing up in Republican parishes, not to campaign, but to listen. Because rural voices matter. Because they’re Louisiana, too.”

Lanus isn’t just touring the state. He’s rewriting the Democratic playbook.

His vision is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: politics must serve people. That means talking less about Washington and more about the real-life issues impacting families in Ferriday, Ville Platte, and Bogalusa—healthcare, education, wages, and infrastructure.

He’s not afraid to own the party’s missteps, either.

“We got some things wrong,” he admitted. “We didn’t fight hard enough for teachers. We didn’t support unions loudly enough. We didn’t make sure all Louisianans felt heard. That changes now.”

Lanus says the new party won’t be built on slogans—it’ll be built by people. In just two weeks, his office has signed over 100 new volunteers and interns committed to organizing, making calls, and driving legislative ideas that come from the ground up.

“This is not a one-man mission,” he said. “We’re building a party powered by young people, regular voters, independents, even Republicans who are tired of being ignored. If you love Louisiana, this movement is for you.”

That momentum will also power the party into high-stakes elections. Lanus made it clear that incumbent Republican Senator Bill Cassidy will face a credible, energized Democratic challenger.

“Cassidy hasn’t put the people of Louisiana first,” Lanus said. “We will.”

Lanus also took direct aim at right-wing attacks on immigration and birthright citizenship, calling them dangerous and un-American. He warned that Republican-led fiscal policies—particularly in a state where education and healthcare lack constitutional protection—will have devastating consequences for rural communities.

“They are rewriting the very fabric of who we are as a country,” Lanus said. “And the people who will suffer most are those already struggling in small towns and forgotten places.”

What Lanus is building is not just a campaign—it’s a comeback.

With authenticity, courage, and a ground-level strategy, Dadrius Lanus is positioning the Louisiana Democratic Party to rise—not as a voice of the elite, but as a force for the forgotten.

“This is the new Louisiana Democratic Party,” Lanus said. “And we’re just getting started.”