Randolph wins 3rd term

Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph retained her position for a third term Saturday, defeating her challenger by the narrow margin of 435 votes, according to the Secretary of State’s complete but unofficial results.

Randolph, the parish’s first female president and the first president to be re-elected, received 7,757 votes, or 51.4 percent of ballots cast. Raceland businessman Jimmy Cantrelle had his name punched 7,322 times for 48.6 percent of the vote.

“It’s certainly a great relief,” Randolph said. “I attribute that to seeing the best come out in the people who work for the parish. We’ve been able to progress amazingly. It’s our job to get the money to do it; it’s the people who work for the parish who implement, and I just think that together we’ve been able to achieve much more.”

The 15,079 Lafourche residents who showed up to the polls represented 26.9 percent of the 56,066 registered voters, according to the Lafourche Registrar of Voters.

The Randolph campaign touted the incumbent’s relationships with key state and federal contacts and appropriators throughout the race. Randolph said Monday morning she spoke to her out-of-parish supporters during the weekend and said everyone is on the same page as far as working to procure monies for coastal restoration and protection projects.

“There are very broad statements made about the state and federal government being broke, but at the same time, there is still money available for projects,” Randolph said. “We just have to fight harder for it.”

Cantrelle, also a longtime member of the Lafourche Parish Library Board, said he will “go enjoy my life.” The 69-year-old Democrat is contemplating on whether or not he will return to the library board and to what extent he will be involved in public service, he said. “To be honest with you, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Cantrelle spent more than $160,000 of his own money on his campaign, more than double the amount Randolph spent in contributed funds. He made it a point to not accept any contributions and said he is proud of the way he managed his message.

“I wish all the people in the parish the best,” Cantrelle said. “I wish the parish the best. I ran a very clean, positive campaign. I got up in the morning Sunday morning, I looked in the mirror, and I liked what I saw.”

As for the future of the parish, Randolph forecasted a series of public meetings starting next year so that the people who elected her to another term can voice their ideas. Parish contractors are working on a drainage master plan and community planning master plan, both of which should be completed by the end of next year.

“The polling we did indicated residents were satisfied in the direction we’re heading,” Randolph said. “I think, ultimately, that surfaced in the election.”

Still, the political aspect of the parish presidency will not subside. Members of the council voiced opposition against the leader throughout the year, and members of Randolph’s administrative cabinet are up for re-appointment in January.

“We try to keep the politics out of it,” Randolph said. “Quite frankly, you should always govern as if it were your last term. Therefore, you don’t make decisions on anything other than what’s best for the constituents.”

Randolph said it’s too early to make a statement on whether or not her third term will be her last.

Elsewhere in the parish, voters overwhelmingly supported two property tax measures that will benefit fire departments in Thibodaux and Bayou Blue.

Voters in the outlying Thibodaux area granted 2.6 property tax mills to finance a $1.3 million bond issue for the Fire Protection Dist. 6, which the St. James Fire Department operates. The loan will be used to replace an aging pumper truck and ladder company, representatives with the fire department have said.

The measure passed with 76.8 percent of the vote: 1,042 to 315.

In Bayou Blue, voters renewed a 10-mill, 10-year tax that will allow the Bayou Blue Fire District to maintain current operations. The district includes part of Terrebonne Parish.

It passed by 86 percent of the vote.