Runoffs for 54th, 55th District House seats to be decided

Lafourche Parish voters will select representatives for the state’s 54th and 55th District House seats Saturday.

The 54th District race pits Democrat Jerry “Truck” Gisclair and Republican Mitchell “Mitch” Theriot, while Democrat Michael “Mike” Matherne and Jerome “Dee” Richard (no party affiliation listed) are vying for the 55th District post.

The 54th district covers central and southern Lafourche. Incumbent Loulan Pitre announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election, thus opening the seat.

Gisclair, 59, owns three radio stations, a construction company and a citrus farm. The U.S. Air Force and Vietnam War veteran lists coastal restoration and ethical and education reform as his top priorities.

Unlike his opponent, Gisclair signed Blueprint Louisiana, even though it did not deal with coastal restoration. The document was issued by state business and community leaders, urging ethical, educational and economic reform in the state.

He also wants to increase the flow of water in Bayou Lafourche and David Pond, the freshwater diversion structure on the Mississippi River built to direct the river’s waters to the Barataria estuary.

Gisclair is also a proponent of full disclosure of campaign contributions, and believes vocational-technical schools should teach more courses applicable to industries in the area.

Theriot, 44, is a Raceland attorney who represented District 54 from 1992 to 2000, running unsuccessfully for the seat in 2003.

He supports homeowner’s and automobile insurance reform, coastal restoration and improved transportation.

Theriot has argued that skyrocketing insurance costs are prohibitive for growth in Lafourche Parish and the Grand Isle.

With the authorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), the former lawmaker said, “The fight will be to see where the money goes.” His past experience will help in ensuring the region receives its fair share, he said.

The 55th District seat is left vacant by Rep. Warren J. Triche, who had to step down because of term limits.

Matherne, 39, an instructor at Nicholls State University and director of campus recreation, is a former Lafourche Parish councilman.

His top three priorities are providing affordable homeowner’s insurance, early childhood education and ethics reform.

At a recent forum, Matherne said the rising cost of homeowner’s insurance has left many Lafourche Parish residents “insurance poor.” He favors a Louisiana Insurance Bill of Rights to protect citizens, and has vowed to seek a state income tax credit for homeowner’s insurance premiums to relieve the cost burden.

His opponent, Richard, 52, is a territory sales manager for Curtis Wright Flow Controls. He shares similar priorities: education, ethics and insurance reform and coastal restoration.

Richard served on the Lafourche Parish School Board for 10 years and as a Thibodaux councilman-at-large for eight years.

He also supports workforce development, improved health care and fully funding Nicholls State.