Shreveport mayoral candidate bows out of race after use of gay slurs, harassment allegations – Shreveport Times
Republican Shreveport mayoral candidate Melvin Slack told The Times he is ending his campaign Monday night.
The announcement comes a day after Slack used gay slurs at a mayoral forum held by the LGBTQ+ advocacy organization PACE and hours after a woman was granted a temporary restraining order against Slack after she accused him of sexual harassment and death threats.
“If this was a ploy to get me out of the race, they got what they wanted because I’m just going to go ahead and let them have the mayor’s race,” Slack said over the phone before abruptly ending the short conversation.
Slack was one of two candidates running as a Republican. He showed up to the Sunday mayoral forum wearing a “2020 Trump” campaign shirt.
He told an audience during the first mayoral forum last month he was the only candidate who could relate to the city’s “gangster” element.
“Shreveport is a gangster city and if you don’t have someone with some gangster type leadership, you not gonna stop this crime and what I mean by that is you need somebody who has street mentality,” he said. “Ain’t none of these people up here got street mentality.”
Sunday’s forum:Shreveport mayoral candidates sound off on transgender issues in community forum, one uses slur
Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts, and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.