Cleo Fields

Before deciding that he would not run for Congress again, U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields looked at running in four different districts — but, after the latest round of redistricting by Louisiana Republicans, he decided he couldn’t win.

“When I run for office, I don’t run just to run; I run to win,” Fields said at a news conference Friday. “I was in deep conversations with members of Congress in Washington, and there was a lot of push. But at the end of the day I didn’t see the winning path.”

Fields said he did not consider a bid in the two New Orleans-area congressional districts represented by Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Democratic U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, but he evaluated the other four.

“I had to run in one of the four, or not run at all. And that was a tough decision,” he said.

Now, Fields says he is returning to his roots and wants to continue in public service “closer to home.”

He announced last week that he’ll run to finish the term of the late state Sen. Larry Selders, a Democrat from Baton Rouge who unexpectedly died earlier this month from a heart condition.

“The moment has called me to do this,” Fields said. “We’re gonna do our best to fill those shoes of Larry Selders.”

A special primary election for the vacant Senate seat is scheduled for Dec. 12 with a runoff on Jan. 9 if needed. All seats in the Legislature are up for election for full four-year terms in fall of 2027.

Fields previously held the seat before Selders.

Fields also addressed speculation that he was under consideration to be president of the Southern University System.

“The Southern University presidency is just not a good fit for me,” he said. “I don’t view myself as a president. I view myself more as a legislator. My job is to go to the Legislature and fight for Southern and give them the funding that they deserve.”