05/18/2026
Friday, the day before the election, I got a call from Randy Roach. We both knew the challenge ahead of us. My opponent was a serious man, with serious backing, running a serious campaign. Randy told me something I’ll never forget:
“Allen, there is no way you lose tomorrow. If you win, you’ll serve, and I have no doubt you’ll do it well. If you lose, you’ve only lost an election—but you’ve made a testimony of resilience, recovery, and service to your community. That’s not a loss.”
Those words stayed with me.
This morning, after a good night’s sleep, I can say—even in disappointment—I am grateful.
Yes, we lost the election. But I was blessed to run against a neighbor, not an enemy. Rob and I stayed friendly throughout, and that means more to me than people realize. To Rob and his family, thank you and congratulations on a well ran campaign and a clean victory!
I can also say this with complete honesty—I left it all on the field. There’s no gas left in the tank. We gave this everything we had.
And what a journey it was.
I met neighbors I never would have met otherwise. I made new friends. I saved a tortoise, met a zebra and a camel, and I visited parts of our parish I didn’t even know existed- Doty Lane I’m looking at you! I shared stories, laughs, memories, and learned even more about this community that I love.
And I’m proud to say that the area that knew me best… we carried.
To everyone who walked with me, prayed with me, encouraged me, checked on me, told me to slow down, shared a story, put up a sign, sent a text, made a call, or simply believed in me—thank you. There are far too many people to name, but please know I will never forget it.
I talk about my transplant journey a lot, because it changed me. I was active in this community before my transplant, but that second chance at life reshaped my priorities completely. Sometimes words don’t fully explain that… so I just try to live it through action.
I’m going to rest for two days…
Then on Tuesday, we get back to work.
Next up: my SWLA Men Wear Pink event on September 19th, Southwest Louisiana Youth Foundation Margarita Bingo August 8th, and we have some exciting new events coming to the Habibi Shriners.
So no… this isn’t the end.
This is just a brief pause.
I love you all. I appreciate you all more than you know.
-Allen
And as always…
💛💙Geaux Pokes.💙💛
