Port runoffs to be decided Nov. 7

Three seats on the Greater Lafourche Port Commission will be decided in next week’s election with close results projected for all the seats up for grabs.

The winners will serve a six-year term on the governing body, which oversees the operations of Port Fourchon, located at the southern tip of Lafourche Parish and widely considered one of the fastest growing and most crucial oil and gas hubs in the United States.

Voters in the 10th Ward of Lafourche Parish, from the Intracoastal Canal down to the southern parish boundary, will choose commissioners for seats “A”, “C”, and “H.”

Seat A will see incumbent Harris “Chuckie” Cheramie Jr. meet Iris Doucet for the post. Both are from Galliano and are listed on the ballot as Democrats. In the primary, Cheramie led Doucet 2,228 votes to 1,971 votes.

The contest for Seat C will pit incumbent Jimmy “T-Jim” Lafont of Galliano against political newcomer Bryan Duet. Lafont is listed as a Democrat while Duet lists “other” as his political party. Duet led incumbent Lafont in the primary by a margin of 127 votes of over 4,800 votes cast.

The contest for Seat D on the commission finds incumbent Jimmie “Beau” Martin Jr. meeting another political newcomer, Jimmy Guidry. Primary returns from this contest were also exceptionally close, with Martin edging out Guidry by a vote count of 1,985 to 1,969.

All indications point to close races again in the runoff. The unknown variable appears to be turnout as this election will be held on a Tuesday whereas most Louisiana voters are accustomed to voting on a Saturday.

A unique political anomaly of the Greater Lafourche Port Commission is that it is the only elected port commission in the state, going so far as having the differentiation spelled out in the state Constitution. Other port authorities in the state have their members appointed by the governor and the Louisiana State Senate confirms those choices.

Polls open on Nov. 7 at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.