JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — In a room full of supporters, Jefferson Parish District 4 Councilman Dominick Impastato made it clear, he wants to change seats on the parish council.
“Until Jefferson Parish reaches the potential and the heights that I believe we’re capable of, I will not rest, and I will not sit, and I will not stop until it happens,” Impastato said.
Term-limited in district four, his announcement Wednesday to run for the Council-at-Large Division B seat sets up an early campaign start for next year’s election.
“I’m not running against anyone. I’m running for the seat to serve the citizens of Jefferson Parish,” Impastato said.
To get that at-large seat, there’s a potential political battle with fellow republican and incumbent Scott Walker.
“I made it clear over the past few years that I’m here for the right reasons. I’m here to work for the people of Jefferson Parish,” Walker said. “We respond every day to constituent issues and work for the betterment of Jefferson Parish.”
One of two at-large seats, the Division B spot plays a big role in shaping the parish’s future. Currently in his first term, Walker hasn’t officially announced he’ll be in the race but isn’t ruling it out.
“I’m going to continue to do the job for the people of Jefferson Parish that I’ve done the past three years,” Walker said. “I’ll continue to do it for the next year and hopefully the voters will recognize the job that I’ve done.”
Impastato, who also served on the Kenner City Council, says he considered other political opportunities but wants an at-large seat so he can take his district four experience parish-wide.
“What we’re doing every day is making people’s lives better in Jefferson Parish. We know it. We see it. We feel it. We hear it and we’re not stopping,” said Impastato.
While both men are focused on Jefferson Parish, it’s what happens in the next year that could determine its future.