Terrebonne voters seat council newcomers

Three newcomers earned spots on the Terrebonne Parish Council during Saturday’s run-off election while one incumbent held onto her seat, according to unofficial voting results.

The general elections featured run-offs in Districts 3, 5, 6 and 7. The unofficial results mean that Terrebonne has its council set for the next four years, and it will feature five new faces when the council takes office on Jan. 7.

In District 3, challenger Gerald Michel defeated incumbent Greg Hood on Saturday.

Michel, a Republican, took in 1,218 votes for 52.5 percent of the vote, according to unofficial election results. Hood, also Republican, won 1,102 votes to win the remaining 47.5 percent.

The unofficial voter turnout in District 3 was 33.2 percent.

Michel extended the lead he secured over Hood in the primary election. On Oct. 24, Michel took home 43 percent of the vote, while Hood secured 40 percent.

Fellow Republican Shari Champagne won the remaining 17 percent but did not make the run-off.

Christa Duplantis-Prather won re-election to her District 5 seat after defeating challenger Chris Domangue on Saturday.

Duplantis-Prather, other party, received 1,230 votes for 52 percent of the vote. Republican Domangue finished with 1,131 votes for the remaining 48 percent.

The run-off saw the incumbent’s lead over Domangue shrink from the primary election. Duplantis-Prather received 44 percent of the votes in the primary, while Domangue came in second with 37 percent. Republican John Pizzolatto missed out on the run-off with the remaining 19 percent on Oct. 24.

Michel said that his first priority would be to address speed limits on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. He said that although it is a state issue, local politicians should focus on the issue to make state officials aware of the dangers presented by speeding on the busy boulevard.

The races in districts 6 and 7 each featured run-offs with no incumbents in place. In District 6, Darrin Guidry defeated Clyde F. Hamner, while “Al” Marmande bested Matt Webb on Saturday to represent District 7 for the next four years.

Guidry, a Republican, won 2,282 votes for a 54 percent share. Fellow Republican Hamner earned 1,956 votes for a 46 percent share. The unofficial turnout was 45.1 percent in District 6.

Guidry will replace Russell Hornsby, who lost in the Oct. 24 primary.

Marmande, a Republican, came out with 1,386 votes for 65 percent of the total vote. Fellow Republican Matt Webb received 761 votes for the remaining 35 percent. The unofficial turnout for District 7 was 32.9 percent.

Marmande, owner of Al’s Shrimp Company in Theriot, will take over for Danny Babin, who ran for parish president in Terrebonne Parish. In the October primary, Marmande took home 39 percent of the vote, while Matt Webb got to the run-off by securing 18 percent in the crowded, six-person field.

Guidry, who is currently on the board of the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District, said that flooding in Distrcit 6 is his first priority.

Marmande, a Republican, came out with 1,386 votes for 65 percent of the total vote. Fellow Republican Matt Webb received 761 votes for the remaining 35 percent. The unofficial turnout for District 7 was 32.9 percent.

Marmande thanked his supporters and talked about his excitement to represent District 7 in a statement.

“Thank you to everyone who went out and voted and supported me. I am looking forward to representing District 7 and working with the rest of the leaders of Terrebonne Parish,” Marmande wrote.

Marmande said that he is “ready to get to work,” and he said his top priorities were the parish’s flood protection and its economy.

Gerald Michel