Randolph, Cantrelle to face off

Alleged child killer unfit for trial
October 27, 2011
Edmond Chauvin
October 31, 2011
Alleged child killer unfit for trial
October 27, 2011
Edmond Chauvin
October 31, 2011

Charlotte Randolph and Jimmy Cantrelle will go head-to-head on the November ballot for Lafourche Parish’s top executive position.


Randolph, a two-term incumbent, was the leading vote getter in the parish presidential primary with 8,680 votes, or 41.6 percent of the 20,846 ballots cast.

Cantrelle, a long-time Lafourche businessman, finished second with 5,547 votes, or 26.6 percent, according to the Secretary of State’s unofficial tally.


Tommy Lasseigne, of Thibodaux, finished third with 3,396 votes for 16.3 percent of the vote, and Councilman Rodney Doucet finished fourth with 3,223 votes, or 15.5 percent.


Thirty-seven percent of Lafourche’s 56,071 registered voters punched the presidential poll Saturday.

Randolph became the first Lafourche president to serve two terms after she won re-election in 2008. She was already the first woman to hold Lafourche’s top position.


“It was very gratifying for us to be in the lead, and we maintained the lead throughout, so everyone was in a good mood,” the Republican said Sunday afternoon.


This is Cantrelle’s third bid for parish presidency. He finished second in 1999 and fourth in 2003. Although he finished second in Saturday’s primary, he said the numbers are in his favor.

“Six people out of 10 voted for new leadership, and that’s what I’m going with,” Cantrelle, a Democrat, said. “When you have that many people that want new leadership, I think you’re in good shape to seize on that opportunity.”


Cantrelle said he would appeal to Doucet and Lasseigne for their support and ultimately try to grab the votes of their supporters. “I’m going to ask them to look at my candidacy, and I’d be very humbled and proud to get their supporter’s votes,” he said.

When asked if she was satisfied with 42 percent of the primary vote, Randolph said, “I guess.” She said she didn’t believe every vote against her was necessarily a call for change, and said the 32 percent of votes that went to Lasseigne and Doucet could have been based on personal relationships or other “pro vote” eliciting causes.

“I think they were pro votes for certain candidates, for whatever reason, and now we will attempt to court them and educate them as to what we’ve accomplished over the last eight years,” the 58-year-old Valentine resident said.

Randolph’s accomplishments include procuring hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal funding for Lafourche Parish projects, she said. She added that she would continue to tout her contacts in key posts as she seeks a third-straight victory.

“Now is a critical time when the federal government and the state government don’t have a great deal of money,” Randolph said. “An appeal to either of those funding sources requires a strong relationship.”

Cantrelle was mum on how he expects his campaign to evolve in the final month, saying he needs to work out the details of a parish-wide issue he plans to address. Thus far, he has campaigned on making the parish’s permitting department more efficient and spurring economic development by recruiting quality businesses.

“I would like to see more economic development so the kid that we educate at Nicholls State University has the opportunity to get a quality job,” he said.

The general election will be held Nov. 19.

Early voting runs from Nov. 5 to Nov. 12.

Randolph, Cantrelle to face off