BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – A Louisiana native and Navy veteran is launching his bid to challenge Sen. John Kennedy in the 2022 election.

Luke Mixon, a 42-year-old Democrat, is a native of Avoyelles Parish and a former fighter pilot with the U.S. Navy.

In announcing his challenge, Mixon said Louisiana needs leaders that represent the needs of their constituents.

“Our infrastructure is crumbling and communities are flooding, but Sen. Kennedy voted against billions of dollars to improve our roads and protect Louisiana communities from natural disasters,” said Mixon. “Health care costs are bankrupting families, yet Sen. Kennedy voted to end coverage for over half a million hard-working people in our state. We need better jobs that provide the people of Louisiana with a living wage to support their families.”

Kennedy has already announced his run for re-election and has already received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.

The Louisiana U.S. Senate race is scheduled for November 8 in 2022.