On your side

WDSU prevents one of the four candidates for sheriff from participating in its televised debate because reasons.

When the candidates for Orleans Parish sheriff convened at WDSU-TV’s studios for a half-hour debate Friday evening, Quentin Brown was the only one of the four men who qualified for the race not on hand.

Brown, a gardener who has mounted previous campaigns for mayor, governor and City Council, wasn’t pleased.

“They say I’m not a serious candidate,” he said in an earlier interview. “I’m registered. I paid my $225. Why am I not being included in this?”

WDSU News Director Jonathan Shelley said the station limits participation to candidates who have held office, or who hit certain polling or fundraising thresholds. Brown was also excluded from forums for Democrats this week because he is an independent.

Nice of them to put these arbitrary qualifications in place for us.  I know how concerned we were that our local politics wasn't quite restricted enough to the well financed and established.