Champagne, Wilson face off for Lockport mayoral seat

Bruce Wilson and Paul Champagne are seeking the Lockport mayor seat.

Wilson, 65, a Republican, is a retired fireman.

A graduate of Fortier High School, he attended Nicholls State University. This is his first try for a political office.

“My opponent is never there,” Wilson said. “He works a full time job and is mayor pro-temp. My main issue is that the town should have a full-time mayor. I also want to keep a close eye on the town budget, contracts, take-home vehicles and check those who work for the city who may be related to someone in city government.

“I want to be a full time mayor that is responsible to the people,” he said.

Meanwhile, interim mayor Champagne, 62, also a Republican, contends the infiltration of water into the town’s sewer lines is the biggest issue facing Lockport.

A graduate of Central Lafourche High School and Nicholls State, Champagne is a project manager at Bollinger Shipyard. He has served as a Lockport councilman since 1992, and held the role of mayor pro temp for 19 years.

He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Lions Club and the Lockport Food Festival.

“All of the sewer lines need to be updated. We area in negations with the Department of Environmental Quality and Sen. (Mary) Landrieu’s office to find funding options. We need to get this project up and running. We may have to look into selling bonds,” Champagne said.

As interim mayor, the Lockport resident said he is the most viable candidate. “I have 20 years as a councilman and 19 years as mayor pro temp,” he said. “I have learned many skills as a project manager, including dealing with the government and providing customer service. I have overseen many projects to make sure they were done on time and under budget.”