SPLC Action Fund Endorses Henry Whitehorn for Caddo Parish Sheriff

CADDO PARISH, La. — Today, the SPLC Action Fund endorsed Henry Whitehorn for sheriff of Caddo Parish. Whitehorn, who has served as a U.S. marshal and chief of the Shreveport Police Department, plans to increase engagement in youth programs and provide alternatives to incarceration.  
 
After Whitehorn was originally declared the winner in last November’s election, a judge voided the results and ordered a runoff election for March 23.  
 
“Last November voters came out and voted for change in Caddo Parish. Now, they need to do so again next month to see that change through,” said Madison Hollon, program manager of political campaigns for the SPLC Action Fund. “Henry Whitehorn has proven himself well-qualified for this position and his candidacy provides an opportunity for real representation amid the shocking lack of diversity in sheriff’s offices across the state.”  
 
Early in 2023, the SPLC Action Fund released a report on the racial disparity among sheriffs and prosecutors across Louisiana. While the state has a Black population of 33%, only 6% of Louisiana sheriffs are Black. The report, Out of Balance: Racial Disparity Among Louisiana’s Sheriffs and Prosecutors, illustrates that, while the vast majority of Louisiana’s district attorneys (DAs) and sheriffs are white, Black residents are starkly overrepresented in the state’s criminal legal system. 
 
The SPLC Action Fund is focused on lifting up communities of color, particularly in the Deep South, that face systemic oppression, poverty and structural racism. To overcome these injustices, the organization is committed to reimagining the political, economic and social systems that sustain them to create a world where all people can thrive. 
 
In pursuit of this bold agenda, the SPLC Action Fund supports candidates who share its commitment to fixing the deep inequities that plague our nation.