Claudet wins in Terrebonne

Prominent local business owner Michel Claudet defeated longtime Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Jerry Larpenter in Saturday’s runoff election for parish president, becoming the parish’s first-ever Republican president.

Current Parish President Don Schwab did not seek re-election.

Claudet received 11,629 votes, or 53 percent of the total. He had trailed Larpenter in the five-candidate primary by six percentage points.

Larpenter pulled in fewer votes in the runoff than in the primary. He received 10,395 votes in the primary, 10,344 in the runoff. Claudet took in 11,629 runoff votes.

After placing second in the primary, Claudet urged residents who had voted for the other candidates to vote for him.

“We welcome other candidates’ supporters with open arms,” he said on Oct. 22.

Following last Saturday’s victory, Claudet was looking ahead to beginning his tenure in January.

“The people elected a new way to run parish government,” Claudet said. “Parish government is big business. I have different experiences and qualifications than in the past.”

“I’ll move in a direction that wasn’t seen in the past,” he said. “The voters recognized the difference between the two candidates.”

Claudet said he was meeting late Monday with Schwab and former Parish Presidents Bobby Bergeron and Barry Bonvillain to get pointers on making a smooth transition. Claudet is holding public office for the first time.

“I don’t want to reinvent the wheel,” he said. “They’ll not tell me what to do. I will make my own decisions.”

“My own thought processes will be put forth, but you can learn a lot from those who’ve been there,” he said. “I will hit the ground running so the people of Terrebonne will get results in the shortest possible period of time.”

During the runoff campaign, Larpenter had criticized his opponent for excessive involvement in private business interests. Claudet owns the Quality Hotel and Café Milano in Houma.

But Claudet said, “It’s not an issue. I will be a full-time parish president.”

“I wouldn’t run if I thought I couldn’t devote my full efforts to parish government,” he said. “I couldn’t put myself forth to run.”

Terrebonne Parish President-elect Michel Claudet is congratulated by his mother, Bessie, Saturday night. * Photo courtesy of MICHEL CLAUDET