BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) -- Ted James endorsed Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome for reelection Thursday morning before early voting starts Friday. James, who finished third in the Nov. 5 election, said Broome has the experience to tackle issues the city-parish faces. "I've said it many times over the campaign trail that it is my love for my hometown of Baton Rouge that led me to run and drove me to run and that same love is why I'm standing here in Bonton Associates next to our mayor," said James. On Nov. 13, former Gov. John Bel Edwards endorsed Broome in the mayoral race. He said Broome has shown resilience and a deep commitment to the community. “She knows how to work with people, whether they're Republican, Democrats, or Independents, and she's demonstrated not just that she knows how, but she's willing to do the work - even when it is hard - because it's necessary to keep Baton Rouge moving forward,” he said. Broome seeks a third term in office in a runoff against Republican Sid Edwards. Edwards got 34% of the votes and Broome got 31% in the November election, according to results on the Louisiana Secretary of State website. Some tax credits restored as Louisiana Gov. Landry’s tax plan shifts Read a statement from Broome below. “I am honored to have the support of a man who has demonstrated time and again his deep love for our city—Ted James. Thank you for your service, for your vision, and for this tremendous show of support. During this campaign, Ted elevated important conversations—conversations about equity, opportunity, and the future of our city. It is that kind of thought leadership that strengthens our community, and I look forward to working alongside him as we continue this important work. "As we move forward to victory, I hear a clarion call for all of us to unite in action. For our babies, we must prioritize early childhood education. For our working families, we must collaborate with state and federal leaders to build stronger bridges of opportunity. And for our city, we must ensure Baton Rouge’s future remains bright, prosperous, and inclusive.” Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome Election Day is Dec. 7. Early voting will be from Nov. 22 to Nov. 30, excluding Nov. 24, 28 and 29. Latest News Baton Rouge steakhouse named in OpenTable's 'Top 100 Restaurants' for 2024 Gaetz withdraws from attorney general consideration Whooping cough cases have quintupled in US. See the number of cases in Louisiana DOJ asks judge to order Google to sell Chrome Wisconsin man who faked his own kayaking death fled the country and won't come home, officials say