Senate, Rayne city races top ballot

Though the battle for the U.S. Senate seat has commanded the majority of attention in the news media, the most important ballot issues when Rayne voters step behind the curtain of the voting booth this Saturday will the future of their own city.
In addition to three law enforcement ballots –– police chief, city marshal and district judge — the composition and direction of the city’s administration for the next four years will be charted largely on the results of three contested seats on the Rayne City Council.
In the runoff for police chief, two-term incumbent Carroll Stelly, a Democrat, will face off against challenger Joseph Caillet. Stelly led the field of five candidates vying for the post with 47.27 percent of the vote. Caillet nabbed second place with 30.23 percent of the Nov. 4 votes.
In the contest for city marshal, incumbent Alex “Joe” LaCroix will face newcomer Jamie Conques. LaCroix claimed 45.78 percent to Conques’ 34.09 percent of the votes in November.
In a four-person contest to become a district judge, David Smith of Church Point collected 9,377 votes to the 4,096 votes captured by Mike Goss of Crowley.
In the race to claim the District 1 seat on the City Council only eight votes separated incumbent Ann Domingue-Washington from challenger Curtrese Minix. Washington earned 351 votes to Minix’s 343 votes.
In the District 2 contest, vacated by Jude “Butch” Abshire, top vote-getters were Kenneth Guidry with 285 votes to Larry Menard’s 266 votes.
Challenger Jimmy Fontenot led in District 3 balloting with 430 votes to face off against incumbent Gerald Foreman who collected 311 votes on Nov. 4.
Polls will open Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m.