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Election Day roundup

Several key races heading back to ballot in December

Many races were decided when voters from across Acadia Parish went to the polls on Tuesday — but some were not.

While Crowley voters will be spared municipal runoffs on Dec. 6, there will be races on the ballot that require local input.

The U.S. Senate seat is yet to be decided.

Incumbent Mary Landrieu claimed a narrow 16,000-vote lead over challenger Bill Cassidy by the end of the night Tuesday. With 1.5 million votes cast in that election, Landrieu garnered 618,840, or 42.1 percent, to Cassidy’s 602,439 votes, or 41 percent.

Rob Maness claimed 202,413 votes across the state for a 13.8 percent total.

Acadia voters heavily favored Cassidy in that race.

Cassidy collected 10,196 votes in the parish, compared to 5,720 for Landrieu and 4,569 for Maness.

In the 3rd Congressional District, incumbent Charles Boustany, M.D., was easily re-elected for his fifth term as U.S. Representative.

District-wide, Boustany finished with 185,835 votes, or 79 percent. Russell Richard ran a distant second with 28,330, or 12 percent.

Boustany garnered 86.7 percent of the Acadia Parish vote to defeat challengers Richard and Bryan Barrilleaux in Tuesday’s primary.

District Attorney

In a hotly contested race involving three parishes — Acadia, Vermilion and Lafayette — Keith Stutes, a former assistant district attorney, unseated his former boss, District Attorney Mike Harson, who had held that office since 1993.

Stutes finished with 58,829 votes to Harson’s 52,799 across the district.

Acadia voters closely followed that trend, giving Stutes 10,505 votes to Harson’s 10,221.

Harson carried only Vermilion Parish, and only by a little more than 1,000 votes.

District Judge

Four candidates entered the race to fill the seat being vacated with the retirement of District Judge Glennon Everett this year. Two will square off in the Dec. 6 runoff.

David Smith of Church Point and Mike Goss of Crowley were the frontrunners with Smith leading the field with 9,377 votes, or 47.8 percent.

Goss had 4,096 votes, or 20.9 percent.

School Board

Three members of the Acadia Parish School Board were re-elected and one vacated seat filled on Tuesday.

• In District 1, incumbent Israel Syria held off challenger Jeff Cavell. Syria by a final vote of 1,187 to 860, or 58 percent to 42 percent.

• In District 3, Delo Hebert Jr. out-polled Dalton Newman 1,331 to 817 (62 percent to 38 percent) to win the seat being vacated this year with the retirement of Lynn Shamsie.

• In District 5, incumbent David Lalande defeated Blane Harmon in a repeat of the special election two years ago. Lalande garnered 1,708 votes, or 61 percent, to Harmon’s 1,102, or 39 percent.

• In District 6, incumbent Gene Daigle eked out a 154-vote victory over challenger Candy Leger to hold on to that seat. Daigle finished the night with 1,395 votes, or 53 percent, compared to Leger’s 1,241, or 47 percent.

Crowley

There will be no municipal runoffs in Crowley in December.

• Mayor Greg Jones was re-elected to his third term with a 2,395 to 1,776 win over challenger Jimmy Broussard.

• Police Chief K.P. Gibson was returned for his fourth term with a convincing win in a three-candidate field. Gibson finished with 3,146 votes, or 74 percent, to Madeline Robinson Cronin’s 762 votes (18 percent) and Bendell Hunter’s 318 votes (8 percent).

• In city council Ward 3, Division B, being vacated with the retirement this year of Laurita Pete, Dr. Ezora Proctor won with a resounding 77 percent of the vote (747 votes) compared to Walter Andrus’ 23 percent (228 votes).

• In the race for the city council seat in Ward 4, Division B, being vacated this year with the retirement of Mary Melancon, Tim Monceaux was the winner in a three-candidate field.

Monceaux garnered 516 votes (58 percent) to Larry DuBose’s 293 (33 percent) and Mike Ritchie’s 87 votes (9 percent).

Rayne

Voters in Rayne still face a number of decisions regarding municipal seats as only the mayor and two council seats were decided Tuesday.

In the mayor’s race, two-year incumbent Roland Boudreaux was ousted by challenger Chuck Robichaux in a replay of the special election two years ago when Jimbo Petitjean resigned after being elected parish tax assessor.

Robichaux ended the night with 2,034 votes (59 percent) to Boudreaux’s 1,441 votes (41 percent).

A new alderman-at-large also was elected in Rayne with the announcement earlier this year by Paul Molbert that he would not seek re-election.

Lendell “Pete” Babineaux garnered 1,739 votes, or 52 percent, to claim that seat in a three-candidate field, defeating Brian Mouton (1,327, or 40 percent) and Maurice “Mo” Menard (281, or 8 percent).

In the Ward 3 alderman’s race, incumbent Calise Michael Doucet narrowly defeated challenger Daniel “Big D” Venable by a final vote of 446 (52 percent) to 409 (48 percent).

Runoffs in Rayne will be held for the following seats:

• Chief of Police: incumbent Carroll Stelly, with 1,664 votes (467 percent) will face Joseph “Joe” Caillet, who garnered 1,064 votes (30 percent).

Five candidates sought the police chief’s office this year.

• Ward 1 Alderman: incumbent Ann Domingue-Washington squares off against challenger Curtrese Minix. Washington had 351 votes (44 percent) compared to Minix’s 343 votes (43 percent) in the four-candidate field.

• Ward 2 Alderman: Just 19 votes separated frontrunner Kenneth Guidry and Larry J. Menard in the race to fill the seat vacated this year by Butch Abshire.

Guidry claimed 285 votes (38 percent) to Menard’s 266 votes (36 percent) in the three-candidate field.

• Ward 4 Alderman: Political newcomer Jimmy Fontenot led the three-candidate field with 430 votes (46 percent) to force a runoff with incumbent Gerald Foreman, who garnered 311 votes (33 percent).

• City Marshall: Long-time City Marshal Alex “Joe” LaCroix led the three-candidate field with 2,276 votes (46 percent) and will square off against Jamie Conques, who claimed 1,695 votes (34 percent).

Church Point

There will be no municipal runoffs in Church Point this December.

Long-time Mayor Roger Boudreaux was unseated Tuesday.

Challenger Russell “Coach” Stelly garnered 1,174 votes (63 percent) to Boudreaux’s 70s (37 percent) in the victory.

In other races:

• Incumbent Police Chief Albert Venable Sr. held off three challengers to retain his seat.

Venable finished the night with 1,047 votes, or 55.7 percent. His nearest challenger, Ronald Carrier, had 443 votes, or 24 percent.

• Ward 1 Alderwoman Debra Thomas was unseated by Gene Malbrough in a three-candidate race. Malbrough had 251 votes (55 percent) while Thomas, who ran third, finished with 84 votes (19 percent).

• Ward 3 Alderman Gary Duplechin was re-elected by a vote of 217 to 108, defeating challenger Diane Fonte.

• In Ward 4, Robert Wimberley earned a place on the council with 187 votes (50.8 percent). His nearest opponent in the three-candidate field was Chris LeBas, who had 120 votes (33 percent).

• Ward 5 Alderman Donald LeJeune was unseated by Errol “Slu” Comeaux, who defeated the incumbent 171 (65 percent) to 92 (35 percent).

Iota

With Cindy McDaniel not seeking re-election, Iota will have a new mayor with the election of Julia “Mariette” Granger on Tuesday.

Granger earned 361 votes (70 percent) to out-poll Damon Daigle, who garnered 155 votes (30 percent).

With five aldermen elected at large, the Iota council will be filled during the coming term by Cody Leckelt, 393 votes; James Quillan” Bertrand, 348 votes; Warren Pousson, 323 votes; Troy Lantz, 316 votes; and Brenda Prather, 303 votes.

Estherwood

The only municipal race in Estherwood was for the mayor’s seat, and incumbent Anthony Borill easy staved off challenger Rickey Monceaux.

Borill finished the night with 212 votes, or 79 percent, compared to Monceaux’s 57 votes, or 21 percent.

Mermentau

Three alderman were chosen from a field of four candidates in Mermentau.

The winners were Troy Cormier, 180 votes; Juanita Richard, 160 votes; and David Fruge, 146 votes.

Morse

The village of Morse will have a new mayor beginning this January since Robert Istre did not seek re-election.

Michael Chiasson won that seat over Darlene Thibodeaux by a final vote of 255 to 76.

Five candidates were vying for three seats on the board of aldermen in Morse. The winners were Eric Primeaux, 260 votes; Peggy Romero, 213 votes; and Raymond Leger, 175 votes.

J.P., Constable

In the race for justice of the peace in Ward 3, incumbent Elton “Bee” Cormier easily defended his position with a 2,241 to 1,013 victory over challenger Penny Duplechain Chavis.

A Dec. 6 runoff will be held to decide who will serve as constable in Ward 4.

Douglas Short, with 975 votes (42 percent), and Mike Habetz, with 910 votes (39 percent) were the frontrunners in the three-candidate field.

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