10-16-23
Attorney General Jeff Landry has won the Louisiana governor’s seat, fending off a crowded field of candidates. The Republican, who is backed by former President Donald Trump, avoided a runoff by receiving more than 50% of the votes — winning the election outright. Landry will replace current Gov. John Bel Edwards, who was unable to seek reelection due to term limits. Edwards is the only Democrat governor in the Deep South.
IN OTHER STATEWIDE ELECTIONS, REPUBLICAN BILLY NUNGESSER WON ANOTHER TERM IN OFFICE, WINNING SIXTY-SIX PERCENT OF THE VOTE TO CONTINUE AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. THE OTHER THREE STATEWIDE OFFICE ELECTIONS ARE GOING TO A RUNOFF. REPUBLICAN LIZ MURRELL GOT FORTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE VOTE IN HER EFFORTS TO BECOME THE NEXT ATTORNEY GENERAL. SHE WILL FACE OFF AGAINST DEMOCRAT LINDSAY CHEEK, WHO GOT TWENTY-THREE PERCENT. REPUBLICAN JOHN FLEMING AND DEMOCRAT DUSTIN GRANGER WILL FACE OFF FOR STATE TREASURER, WHILE REPUBLICAN NANCY LANDRY AND DEMOCRAT GWEN COLLINS GREENUP ARE THE REMAINING TWO CANDIDATES FOR SECRETARY OF STATE.
THE BOARD OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION RACE FOR DISTRICT SEVEN TO REPLACE HOLLY BOFFY COMES DOWN TO REPUBLICANS KEVIN BERKEN, WHO GARNERED THIRTY-SEVEN PERCENT, AND ERICK KNEZEK, WHO GOT THIRTY-FOUR PERCENT. PRESTON CASTILLE RETAINED HIS DISTRICT EIGHT SEAT, WITH SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE VOTE.
IN LOCAL STATE SENATE RACES, REPUBLICAN BLAKE MIGUEZ GOT SIXTY-ONE PERCENT, ENOUGH TO WIN THE DISTRICT TWENTY-TWO SEAT. HE REPLACES FRED MILLS, WHO WAS TERM-LIMITED. MEANWHILE, INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN MARK ABRAHAM EASILY RETAINED HIS DISTRICT TWENTY-FIVE SEAT.
IN STATE REPRESENTATIVE RACES FROM THE AREA, INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN JONATHAN GOUDEAU WAS SOUNDLY DEFEATED IN HIS ATTEMPTS TO BE REELECTED FOR DISTRICT THIRTY-ONE. REPUBLICAN TROY HEBERT GARNERED SIXTY-ONE PERCENT OF THE VOTE TO TAKE HIS SEAT. REPUBLICAN CHANCE HENRY WILL BE TAKING OVER FOR REPRESENTATIVE JOHN STEFANSKI, WHO INSTEAD RAN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL. HENRY GOT SIXTY-TWO PERCENT OF THE VOTE TO DEFEAT DOUG LACOMBE. INCUMBENTS REPUBLICANS JULIE EMERSON AND BEAU BEAULIEU AND DEMOCRAT DUSTIN MILLER ALL WERE REELECTED. REPUBLICAN JOSH CARLSON GOT EIGHTY-FOUR PERCENT OF THE VOTE TO TAKE STUART BISHOP’S SEAT, WHO WAS TERM-LIMITED. ALSO TERM-LIMITED WAS VINCENT PIERRE, WHO WILL BE REPLACED BY LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DEMOCRAT TEHMI CHAISSON, WHO DEFEATED LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER PAT LEWIS. REPUBLICAN BRETT MYERS IS REPLACING JEAN PAUL COUSSAN, WHO LEFT HIS STATE REPRESENTATIVE SEAT TO RUN UNOPPOSED AS STATE SENATOR.
BLAKE MIGUEZ ALSO LEFT THE STATE HOUSE TO RUN FOR STATE SENATE, AND WILL BE REPLACED BY REPUBLICAN JACOB LANDRY, WHO DEFEATED HIS CHALLENGERS SANDY DERISE AND DAVID EATON.
REPUBLICAN CYNTHIA SPADONI WILL BE TAKING OVER FOR THE RETIRING MARILYN CASTLE ON THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT. SPADONI TOOK FIFTY-THREE PERCENT OF THE VOTE TO DEFEAT DAVID WAY. FORMER ST. LANDRY PARISH DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES CRAVINS, A DEMOCRAT, WILL BE A JUDGE IN THE TWENTY-SEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT. HE GOT SIXTY PERCENT OF THE VOTE AND WILL REPLACE LEDRICKA THIERRY, WHO MOVED TO THE THIRD CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS.
LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY WILL HAVE TO WIN IN A RUNOFF TO MAINTAIN HIS OFFICE. GUILLORY GOT FORTY PERCENT OF THE VOTE AND WILL FACE OFF AGAINST MONIQUE BLANCO BOULET, WHO RECIEVED THIRTY-FOUR PERCENT. THE RACE TO REPLACE SAINT MARTIN PARISH PRESIDENT CHESTER CEDARS COMES DOWN TO REPUBLICANS PETE DELCAMBRE AND DEAN LEBLANC.
REPUBLICAN JUSTIN CENTANI WILL TAKE OVER FOR CONRAD COMEAUX AS LAFAYETTE PARISH ASSESSOR. COMEAUX DIDN’T RUN FOR REELECTION. CENTANI COLLECTED FIFTY-FIVE PERCENT.
THERE WERE SEVERAL CLERK OF COURT RACES IN ACADIANA. IN ACADIA PARISH, LAURA FAUL DEFEATED FELLOW REPUBLICAN BLANE FAULK. SHE WILL REPLACE THE RETIRING ROBBY BAROUSSE. MEANWHILE, THREE INCUMBENTS WON REELECTION, CHARLES JAGNEAUX OF SAINT LANDRY PARISH, DIANE MEAUX BROUSSARD OF VERMILLION PARISH AND RANDY DESHOTEL OF EVANGELINE PARISH. THERE’S A NEW CLERK OF COURT FOR SAINT MARTIN PARISH AS INCUMBENT BECKY PATIN DECIDED NOT TO RUN. IT’S LAURA BLANCHARD, WHO RECEIVED SIXTY-EIGHT PERCENT.
INCUMBENT JEFF DAVIS PARISH SHERIFF IVY WOODS COLLECTED THE MOST VOTES IN THE PRIMARY, BUT WILL HAVE TO GO TO A RUNOFF TO MAINTAIN HIS OFFICE. HIS CHALLENGER IN THE GENERAL ELECTION WILL BE KYLE MIERS. THERE WILL ALSO BE A RUNOFF FOR VERMILLION PARISH SHERIFF. INCUMBENT MIKE COUVILLON IS RETIRING. EDDIE LANGLINAIS GOT FORTY-NINE-POINT-SEVEN PERCENT OF THE VOTE AND FACES LANCE BROUSSARD. BOTH ARE REPUBLICANS.
