Sen. Willie Mount (D)
District# 27,

• District # 27: House District 0
• Party: Democrat
• Caucus Membership: --
• Occupation: Civic and Community Involvement, Former Small Business Owner
• Education: Lake Charles High School; B.S., McNeese State University
• Spouse: Benjamin Mount
• Year Elected:2000
• Last Year Eligible(Term Limit): 2012
• 2007 Election
  Mount was once more elected to represent Calcasieu Parish without opposition. The last time she had to actually run for the seat was in 1999, when Paul Cox withdrew from the race and Mount won an easy majority. On the horizon, watch for Mount to become a serious player in statewide politics, as her name is habitually bantered about. She will also likely be a strong conservative “Blue Dog” Democratic voice in a Legislature that is more divided along party lines than ever before.
  
  

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• Economic: Lake Charles is the commercial and tourism hub of District 27, which covers a vast swath of Calcasieu Parish.
  The gaming industry is an important player, with six riverboat casinos in Lake Charles alone. It’s a significant source for jobs and taxes, but the impact on tourism shouldn’t be overlooked, either. Texas residents regularly frequent the casinos and the area is one of Louisiana’s most successful gaming markets.
  The petrochemical plants in the Sulphur-Westlake area collectively are another economic engine. But unemployment in the parish tripled from 5.3 percent in 2004 to 15.9 percent in November 2005 following Hurricane Rita. Many minimum wage jobs are advertised and remain unfilled even today. Other major economic drivers include agriculture (primarily rice), the Port of Lake Charles, McNeese State University and the Chennault International Airport, which is used by Northrop Grumman to modernize government-owned aircraft, as well as other companies.
• Social: The district is solidly middle class. Most residents work in professional jobs or well-paying blue-collar jobs. Serious pockets of poverty do exist, however, especially in northern Lake Charles, where low-income black neighborhoods are located.
• Political: District 27 reflects a traditional split in Louisiana politics. Affluent conservative whites live here, as well as both black and white blue-collar workers who pull the Democratic lever. An organized business community and labor unions both have a strong voter influence.

• Willie Landry Mount is a woman of many firsts: She was Lake Charles’ first female mayor and the first female senator ever to represent Calcasieu Parish. She brings a local knowledge to the Senate, having served as mayor of Lake Charles for several years. She is extremely popular in her home base and Mount is often credited with helping to create a newfound sense of worth in Lake Charles.
  She was a close ally of former Gov. Kathleen Blanco and chaired the powerful Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes and the Capital Outlay Budget.
  Individually, Mount focuses on the needs of families and children, and is a major player on issues impacting the Department of Social Services.
  Her other legislative accomplishments include authoring bills that placed day care centers in drug-free zones, created child advocacy centers in each judicial district and stiffened rules for temporary aides working in nursing homes.