Kim Landry Coates

Campaigning on a commitment to preserving Tangipahoa’s quality of life, Kim Landry Coates of Ponchatoula announces her intention to run for State Representative District 73 this fall.

Coates is the incumbent Tangipahoa Parish Council member for District 10. She is currently completing the fourth year of her term.

“Over the course of these four years, we have made great strides to preserve and protect the incredible quality of life we share here in Tangipahoa Parish. At the request of many of my constituents and after serious consideration, I will run for District 73 State Representative to continue the great tradition of ensuring our residents’ needs are met at the state capitol and beyond,” Coates said.

During her tenure on the Tangipahoa Parish Council, Coates has been a proponent for balancing the parish’s growth by maintaining sensible approaches to development. She was an active member of the council’s Developmental Regulations Committee, who refined the parish’s large subdivision ordinance and established guidelines for solar farms in the parish.

“Tangipahoa is one of the state’s fastest-growing parishes, and there’s no wonder why. We are home to tremendous educational and health care assets, not to mention the retail and advanced manufacturing opportunities,” Coates said. "Our goal is to continue to attract growth but maintain the natural beauty of our precious ecosystems and green space buffers that draw people to initially visit and then return time and time again to Tangipahoa.”

In addition to her work on growth-related issues, Coates has been vocal in the fight against litter in our parish. She serves as a council delegate to the Keep Tangipahoa Beautiful organization, which was recognized last year as a DEQ Award winner for the parish’s use of the “litter gitter” vessel to trap garbage and debris floating in local waterways. On the issue of waterways and drainage, Coates has been a champion for improved drainage work in the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Ida in 2021.

“These are just a few of the projects we’ve accomplished in less than four years to help our residents continue to enjoy the quality of life that makes Tangipahoa the best parish in all of Louisiana,” Coates said.

As State Representative, Coates said her platform will revolve around efforts to improve transportation opportunities for Tangipahoa’s seniors. She said she will fight to get funding to make the parish’s bus service more accessible for residents throughout Tangipahoa Parish. She also wants to protect our parish’s special needs residents, securing additional funding for groups like TARC and OPTIONS who are often targeted in state cuts. Finally, she wants to ensure Tangipahoa’s infrastructure system remains in the forefront for state improvements. She said the I-12/I-55 corridor is essential to the state’s transportation network, and she wants to be sure improvements made along those thoroughfares promote responsible growth for Tangipahoa.

Coates is a registered Republican and a conservative Christian. She and her husband Steve are parents to three young adults, and she has more than 20 years experience in banking, finance, real estate and professional sales. She is a graduate of Ponchatoula High and Southeastern Louisiana University. She is also a former coach and longtime supporter of Ponchatoula youth sports. In her spare time, Coates enjoys spending time in Louisiana’s “Sportsman’s Paradise,” where she and her family hunt, fish, and relax in Tangipahoa’s many natural landscapes.

The primary election is October 14, 2023. A run-off, if needed, is scheduled November 18.