Whitney, Magee headed to run-off for 53rd Dist.

A local attorney will challenge State Rep. Lenar Whitney in a run-off for the 53rd Representative District seat.

Houma native Tanner Magee got 34 percent of the votes (3,073 votes) to pace all three candidates in Saturday’s election for the season, which Whitney has held for the past four years. The incumbent also had 34 percent of the vote, but finished nine fewer votes than Magee to secure her spot in the runoff election, which will take place on Nov. 21.

Also running for the seat was Democrat and Terrebonne Parish School Board member Brenda Babin, who got 31 percent of the vote, but fell 255 votes shy of making the final cut.

Both candidates who are moving on believe they’re qualified to hold the seat and represent our area in Baton Rouge.

“I think I can and will provide a voice that represents what’s best for our people here locally in our community,” Magee said. “I think we need a voice that represents our interests – not the interests of Washington DC or the lobbyists in Baton Rouge.”

“It’s been a wonderful couple of months of campaigning,” Whitney added after the election results were posted. “(I want to) thank (supporters) so much for your continued support in me as your State Representative. It is an honor to serve you.”

Both run-off candidates didn’t offer much else, because they haven’t had much time to focus on their campaigns since election night.

Both Whitney and Magee have posted photos on their social media accounts detailing weekend flooding that occurred in southern Terrebonne Parish – the low-lying lands that encompass a lot of District 53.

Each said that they’re on the ground working with folks in need and will be doing so for the foreseeable future as long as people are in need.

On election night, turnout for the race was 36.4 percent and 8,946 ballots were cast.

In a race that was as balanced and evenly matched as this one, a lot of the power in the run-off may be in the hands of the eliminated candidate and the voters who opted to choose Babin in the general election.

If that holds true, the run-off may favor Magee, because Babin has already endorsed the challenger through social media, typing in a Facebook post that she believes he will be a “great” State Representative for Louisiana.

Babin said throughout her campaign that she didn’t think Whitney did enough for statewide education in her first term in office.

Whitney fired back at those claims and pointed to monies raised to assist Fletcher and Nicholls State University during her four years in office.

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