U.S. Rep.-elect Cedric Richmond (D-La.) is heading to Washington. This is a great accomplishment because two years ago, in the wake of the election of the first African-American president, the 2nd District became the only black-majority district in the country to send Anh "Joseph" Cao, a Vietnamese-American Republican, to represent the district in a heavily Democratic House. Two years later, amid one of the great Republican waves of modern times, the district now sends a freshman Democrat to represent the district in an overwhelmingly Republican House. Richmond, who mocked Cao as a "perpetual bench warmer," now has to prove, under daunting circumstances, that he's got game. Richmond, 36, is already a veteran lawmaker in Baton Rouge and believes that he can parlay relationships into influence in Washington while he waits to draw some seniority — and the day that Democrats recapture the majority. If he can capture the hearts and minds of those in his district, perhaps he can do the same in the House of Representatives. It will be interesting to see how this young, dynamic black man is received in the Republican-led House. We'll be watching Mr. Richmond over here at The Root.
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