Tuesday, July 13
July 13, 2010Ellis Warren Jr.
July 15, 2010The race to fill U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon’s 3rd Congressional District seat pits three Republicans against one Democrat.
Houma native Hunt Downer, a retired major general with the Louisiana National Guard faces New Iberia residents attorney Jeff Landry and Kristian Magar, a district manager in the oil-and-gas industry. Houma native and attorney Ravi Sangisetty qualified as the lone Democrat for the representative seat.
The election will come at a trying time in Louisiana with the oil spill crisis placing its footprint on the local economy.
Those challenges will keep all of the candidates on their toes throughout their terms, and the issues each man plans to tackle differs.
On Downer’s website, www.huntdowner.com, the republican candidate said he is running on three platforms – “fighting for our country,” “fighting for our children,” and “fighting for our coast.”
On Landry’s website, www.landryforlouisiana.com, the attorney said he would fight to “Keep jobs in Louisiana and grow our economy,” “fight deficits and wasteful spending,” and “oppose nationalized healthcare, while lowering costs.”
Magar also has shared his thoughts on the country’s economy, stating on his website, www.kristianmagar.com, that he would support, “A constitutional amendment, that requires the federal government to operate on a balanced budget,” “Legislation requiring the use of a portion of our annual federal revenue to pay off our national debt,” and “legislation to create a rainy day savings fund, which we could draw from in a time of crisis to prevent accumulating debt.”
The only Democrat in the race, Sangisetty, is running on the platform of “Our Coast Comes First.” On his website, www.raviforcongress.com, the Houma native said he would also like to decrease our national debt and lower our spending, but protecting Louisiana’s coast is his No. 1 priority. “Our future hinges on better, smarter approaches to hurricane protection and coastal restoration,” the website states. “If we fail to do what is needed to protect our coastal communities in the face of constant threat, little else matters.”
The Republican Primary for Downer, Landry and Magar will be held on Aug. 28.
If a run-off is needed to determine the Republican candidate, that will be held on Oct. 2.
The general election will take place Nov. 2.
Several incumbents will remain in office in local school boards.
In local races, several incumbents serving Tri-Parish school board seats were returned to office unopposed.
In Terrebonne Parish, Richard “Dicky” Jackson will remain in place in District 3 after qualifying failed to provide him opposition.
The same can be said in District 8 and 9, with incumbents Donald “Don” Duplantis and Hayes Badeaux remaining in office unopposed.
In District 1, incumbent Roosevelt Thomas will be opposed by Alvin Tillman, a Democrat from Houma. District 2 will pit incumbent Gregory Hardin against Clarence Williams.
District 4 incumbent Rickie A. Pitre will be opposed by Debra “Debi” Benoit. Dist. 5’s election will place incumbent Clark Bonvillain on the ballot with challenger Brenda Leroux Babin.
In District 6, incumbent Republican L.P. Bordelon III will be opposed by Cindy A. Callahan. District 7’s election will place incumbent Roger Dale DeHart on the ballot against David Ohlmeyer.
In Lafourche Parish, several incumbents will also remain in office, as well, due to a lack of opposition.
District 1’s Louis Thibodaux, District 2’s Rhoda Caldwell, District 7’s Gary J. Foret, District 8’s Ronald J. Pere, District 9’s Julie Breaux, District 14’s Larry Pitre and District 15’s Lawrence Mounic will all remain in office.
Joining them will be newcomers Gregg Stall and Clyde “Joey” Duplantis III, who ran unopposed, as well.
In District 3, incumbent Richmond “Rev” Boyd will be opposed by Eva Mae Queen Shanklin. District 4 will have two challengers, as incumbent Robert Naquin will be opposed by Marian B. Fertitta and Gregory Torres. In District 5, incumbent Stella Chiasson Lasseigne will face Charlotte Danos Gaubert. District 10 will put incumbent Dennis “Jean” Chiasson against Claude Richardel.
District 12 incumbent Jon Callais will run against Ann Bouvier Sanamo. And in District 13, incumbent Al Archer will be opposed by Mary G. Curole.
Curole, a former Lafourche Parish principal, currently has a lawsuit out against the school board for alleged sex discrimination based on the board’s decision to not renew her contract.
Thibodaux also gearing up for elections
Incumbent Charles Caillouet will have to beat two challengers if he wants to hold onto his position as Thibodaux’s mayor.
Opposing Caillouet will be Tommy Eschete, who did not list a party affiliation and Democrat Charles Mosley.
Also up for grabs in the city will be a pair of seats on the city council.
Incumbent councilman-at-large Seat D, Lloyd “Chip” Badeaux will remain in place after running without opposition.
Seat E councilman-at-large incumbent Chad Mire will be opposed by Gary Palmer.
City councilmen Eddie Hebert and Gene Richard in Districts A and B, respectively, will remain in place without opposition.
And in the race for a councilman in District C, Constance Thompson, Varick C. Taylor and Jimmie Winston will try and secure the seat.
St. Mary seats up for grabs
The local election spotlight in St. Mary Parish will be its brightest in the City of Patterson, where first term City Councilman Rodney Grogan is challenging first term Mayor, Mike Accardo.
Additionally, three newcomers, Deniesee Robertson, Sandra Turner and John Rentrop, are challenging the remaining for incumbent city councilmen, for five at large council seats. The incumbents are: Peg Rentrop, Larry Mendoza, Joe Russo III, and Claire Sawyer.
In Berwick, Mayor Louis Ratcliff was re-elected without opposition for another four year term.
However, Randal Monceaux is challenging all five current Berwick Aldermen for the town’s five at large seats: Duval Arthur, Penny Crappell, Troy M Lombardo, Damon Robison, and Edgar Thomas Jr.
Elsewhere, some Franklin and Morgan City voters will be going to the polls to elect new school board representatives.
In Franklin, newcomer Anthony Delasbour is challenging incumbent Murphy J Pontiff Jr, for the District 4 seat.
In Morgan City, newcomer Howard Castay is challenging incumbent Anthony Streva, for the District 10 seat.
All other members of the St. Mary Parish School Board were re-elected without opposition: Joe Foulcard, Franklin, District 1, Mary Lockley, Franklin, District 2, Edward Payton, District 3, Baldwin, Ginger Griffin, Bayou Vista/Patterson, District 5, Marilyn LaSalle, Patterson, District 6, Wayne Deslatte, Centerville, District 7, Mike Taylor, Berwick, District 8, Bill McCarty, Morgan City, District 9, Roland Verret, District 11.
