La.’s political season has officially commenced
14th September 2015 · 0 Comments
By Christopher Tidmore
Contributing Writer
As the clock ticked down payday advance in pocola oklahoma to 5 p.m. on September 10, 2015, the local political was held spellbound. Would John Georges join the crowded gubernatorial field, potentially upending the contest? The day prior, The Advocate newspaper owner had said it was “not too late” to make a bid. As late as 3:50 p.m., no one knew if the maverick Democrat would qualify to run, potentially ending the likelihood of a David Vitter-John Bel Edwards runoff, and providing an opening for other major candidates, Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne.
Then, at almost literally the last minute, with the paperwork already filled out, Georges decided not to qualify to run. At the stroke of 5 p.m., the 2015 Governor’s field was locked with the aforementioned GOP US Senator, Democratic State House leader, Republican PSC Commissioner and GOP Lt. Governor, as well as minor contenders Beryl Billiot, Cary Deaton, Jeremy “JW” Odom, Eric Paul Orgeron, and S.L. Simpson.
Still, the last day qualifying for the October 24 primary was loaded with shocking surprises that promise to change the landscape of multiple statewide and metro Parish races. Moribund these elections shall not be, offering the electorate a myriad of choices.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was that there was “no surprise” in the Lt. Governor’s contest. Despite persistent rumors (predicated on his anemic fundraising) that Democratic contender Kip Holden would not seek the No. 2 job in state government, the Baton Rouge Mayor-President did qualify to run. He joins GOP candidates Sen. Elbert Guillory, Jefferson Parish President John Young, and former Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser.
The most pleasant surprise, for Democrats at least, is that their party managed to field candidates for nearly every major statewide office against Republican incumbents—whose partisan and financial position make them almost impervious to defeat.
For example, prior to Thursday, the Attorney General’s race looked to be an all GOP affair, between (admittedly former Democrat-turned- Republican) Buddy Caldwell and Tea Party Republican and former Congressman Jeff Landry. Post September 10th, African-American Democrat Isaac “Ike” Jackson of Plaquemine and Caucasian Democrat Geraldine “Geri” Broussard Baloney of Garyville both joined the contest, along with white Republican Marty Maley of Baton Rouge.
Incumbent Republican Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry and Covington native Mike Strain earned a Democratic cash loans wollongong challenge from Charlie Greer of Natchez. Green Party candidate Adrian “Ace” Juttner of Abita Springs and Republican Jamie LaBranche of LaPlace also run.
GOP Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon will face Democrat Donald Hodge Jr. and Charlotte C. McDaniel McGehee, both Democrats from Baton Rouge, as well as Republican Matt Parker from West Monroe.
TYSON
Though Tyson has been mounting a bid for Sec. State for months, his qualifying against the Republican incumbent did surprise a few, due to the LSU professor’s anemic fundraising. Tyson had hoped to use voting rights access as a means to tap into the resources of the national civil rights community, that so revered his father, yet with only mixed returns.
Frustrating Democratic hopes for a complete ticket of contenders for statewide office, no Democrat qualified against John Kennedy. The seemingly undefeatable GOP Treasurer (and likely 2016 U.S. Senate candidate) did pull an opponent, however, in Jennifer Treadway, a Baton Rouge Republican.
A slight surprise was the decision by BESE Chairman Chas Roemer not to seek reelection. This creates a new possibility that the Anti-Common Core coalition of African-American local control activists and conservative white Tea Partiers might be able to gain a majority on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Libertarian Jason France, a Baton Rouge data analyst, entered the contest for the BESE District 6 slot on Wednesday. The education blogger is one the most outspoken opponents of Common Core in the state. Others in the race are Republicans Laree Taylor, principal of a middle school in Port Allen, and Kathy Edmonston, a 21-year veteran of the Ascension Parish School District.
In BESE District 2, stretching through Orleans Parish and the African American-majority areas of the metro, incumbent (and Teach for America head) Kira Orange Jones faces two RSD opponents and Common Core skeptics (as well as fellow Black Democrats) Kara Washington and Gwendolyn Bordenave. personal loans in greenville nc
In adjoining BESE District 1, stretching from the city through Metairie to the Northshore, incumbent Republican and Common Core/RSD supporter Jim Garvey faces a stiff challenge from local control advocate and Common Core opponent Lee Price Barrios of Abita Springs. (Barrios advocated for fired teachers in Orleans after Katrina, and has long been a Garvey critic. Garvey is one of the strongest backers of charter schools and school choice in the state, as well as siding with the Obama Administration and the GOP establishment on Common Core. The dichotomy displays the odd coalitions that constitute the education debate—and the BESE elections.)
In fact of all the BESE seats, only District 4 elected a candidate without a challenge, Republican Mary Johnson Harris of Shreveport. All of the remaining BESE incumbents face competitive races over Common Core and the continuance of the RSD’s charter schools.
Perhaps the greatest surprise comes in the very competitive race to replace David Heitmeier in Algiers’ and West Bank Jefferson’s Senate District 7. No one expected Senator Heitmeier to retire, and his departure spawned a gaggle of qualified and well-financed contenders. The contest may prove a test case race as to whether demographic changes have transformed West Bank Jefferson enough to create an African American-majority seat out of a previous white Democratic district.
Term-limited Algiers Caucasian Democratic State Rep. Jeff Arnold was the first to join the contest. But the power of his virtual incumbency and family political name did not prove enough to stop former Orleans Councilman, State Rep, and African-American Democrat Troy Carter from jumping in. Nor did it daunt another Black Democrat with a famous name, Roy A. Glapion III. The son of the former Councilman and current Chairman of the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission entered on Thursday, along with Democrat Leslie Ellison of Orleans and Republican Troy J. Gainey of Belle Chasse.
Equally, in the other direction, the race to succeed term limited Senator Ed Murray might prove if demographic changes and gentrification in Gentilly (and throughout Orleans) has shifted this once solid Black majority seat. The Democratic Party establishment stands firmly behind African-American State Rep. Wesley Bishop in his bid for the 4th Senatorial District, yet his election is not a foregone payday loans bucks county pa conclusion.
Bishop expected to solely face Erich Caulfield, a fellow Black Democrat, who sought to challenge the veteran State Rep. with a biracial coalition, and strong financial backing. Thanks to his society and business fundraising after years in the non-profit and corporate worlds, Caulfield constituted a greater threat to Bishop than the average first-time office seeker.
Then, the race was turned on its proverbial side when Joseph “Joe” Swider joined. The white Democrat might have a chance to appeal to the newcomers who have moved into the Lakefront-centric seat post-Katrina.
Meanwhile, in another surprise since he is legally barred from running, Derrick Shepherd, who resigned his state Senate seat in 2008 before pleading guilty to money-laundering charges, signed up for the House District 87 seat to challenge incumbent Ebony Woodruff.
State law prevents convicted felons from holding state office, which should automatically disqualify Shepherd. The former Senator, however, after spending two years in federal prison for laundering money from the sale of fake bonds, explained he plans to challenge that prohibition as unconstitutional. Rodney Lyons Sr. rounds out the third African-American Democrat in the contest.
If the recently elected Dr. Joe Bouie thought he would have an easy bid, challengers proved him wrong. Gentilly’s 97th Representative District will not only see Black Republican Eustis Guillemet Jr. making a challenge to the former SUNO chancellor, but MissKeith Prevost, daughter of a prominent inner-city pastor, will run as well. The African-American Democrat stands on a platform that is youth-centric.
As does Prevost’s sister, Markeita who runs in the Ninth Ward and New Orleans East for the adjoining 99th Representative District against fellow Black Democrats Ray Crawford and Jimmy Harris.
A crowded field in District 100, also in the East, sees a slew of African-American contenders: John Bagneris, Jason Hughes, Willie Jones, Shawn Lockett, and Alicia Plummer Clivens. Longtime School Board member Lourdes Moran seeks promotion to the legislature in the 102nd State Representative District against Gary Carter Jr., Kenneth Cutno, “Skip” Gallagher, Kenneth P. Garrett Sr., and Anthony Ibert. All are Democrats.
A more conventional, if equally notable Republican v. Democrat/White v. Black contest occurs in the 105th Representative District, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico through Jefferson to Orleans. African-American contender Alexis payday loans opp alabama Catherine Billiot faces Caucasian Republican Chris Leopold. The result of this race will prove also a good indicator whether demographic changes on the West Bank of Jefferson have made the area more receptive to Black candidates.
Turning to GOP Lakeview and Bucktown, incumbent State Rep. “Nick” Larusso will face fellow Republican Stephanie Hilferty in his bid to earn re-election to the 94th Representative District.
Meanwhile, Lorusso’s former opponent from four years ago, Ex-State Rep. John LaBruzzo, who had been running for the Jefferson Parish Council District 5 seat for almost a year, decided on Thursday to challenge State Sen. Conrad Appel instead in State Senate District 9 — which runs across East Jefferson to the Riverbend area of Uptown.
LaBruzzo cited Appel’s support for Common Core as a reason to switch races in the final day of qualifying as well as his own interest to reintroduce his bill to drug test welfare recipients, an issue for which LaBruzzo fought unsuccessfully during his term in the house, prior to his defeat by Nick Larusso.
Appel will also face another familiar opponent, former Jefferson School Board Member and State Education Secretary Polly Thomas. Prior to her narrow loss to Appel in 2008, Thomas nearly beat his predecessor, the late Sen. Ken Hollis, as well as running a very close race against Steve Scalise, prior to his bid for Congress. Even if the fourth time proves not a charm for Thomas, Appel still must also overcome a bid by Independent Scott Songy of Metairie.
Touching a small part of Orleans, the mostly St Bernard-focused State Representative 103rd District will see incumbent white Republican Ray Garofalo squeezed between Democrats Leola Anderson and Casey Hunnicutt, an African-American and a Caucasian, and Republican George Cavignac. The once-white seat has seen a huge influx of Black voters post-Katrina.
In Orleans’ School Board District 1, Keith Barney faces Shawon Bernard, and John A. Brown Sr., all African-American Democrats.
For the Jefferson Parish Council, only Republican Cynthia Lee-Sheng (daughter of Sheriff Harry Lee) and African-American Democrat Mark Spears avoided opposition. Spears ran for re-election to his 3rd District seat, and Lee-Sheng sought promotion to the At-Large Division B post.
She had vacated her 5th District seat to make that race, leaving it open for two Republican great northern lending contenders, former Jefferson Parish Chief Administrative Officer Jennifer Van Vrancken and lawyer Mike Thomas, after John LaBruzzo opted for the aforementioned State Senate bid.
GOP incumbent Ben Zahn did not get a free ride for his 4th District seat on the Parish Council. Kenner resident Scarlett Alaniz signed up to run despite unsuccessful bids for the Kenner City Council last year and in 2006.
In the 1st District, Independent Scott Grindstaff and Democrat Patrick Pierson are taking on incumbent Republican Ricky Templet. Equally, 4th District Republican Councilman Paul Johnston faces a challenge from GOP businessman Michael O’Brien.
In Jefferson At-Large Division A, incumbent Republican Chris Roberts earned tough opponents in two former Parish Councilmen, Democrat Jimmy Lawson and Republican Louis Congemi.
These parochial races pale before the contentious contest for Jefferson Parish President. Seeking to succeed John Young, most thought it would be a “Battle Royal” between Kenner GOP Mayor Mike Yenni and Councilman Elton Lagasse. Then, Lagasse’s former aide Robin Daldegan Christiana of Gretna jumped in, as did political activist Al Morella of Kenner, businessman Vincent DeSalvo of Gretna, and Joseph Larocca of Kenner. All but Morella are Republicans.
Jefferson Sheriff Newell Normand and court Jon Gehenheimer both drew unexpected, if token opposition from Independent Anthony Boise of Bridge City and Republican Billy Sherman of Metairie.
Embattled GOP St. Bernard Parish President David Peralta, who faces criminal charges in three jurisdictions, will square off against Republicans Roland Rocques and Guy McInnis, along with Democrats Wayne Landry, Tony Melerine and Louis Pomes—and Johnell Young, who has no party affiliation. Seeking a political comeback, former St. Bernard Parish President Henry “Junior” Rodriguez filed to run for parish clerk of court against incumbent Randy Nunez. In the Assessor’s race, Republicans Ross Gonzales and Jaylynn Bergeron Turner face off.
For St. Bernard Council, At-Large Eastern Division, it is Republicans Paul Alfonso and Kerri Callais vs. white Democrat Fred Everhardt Jr. and African-American Democrats Thomas Johnson and Cyrus Sylvester—as well as Independent Andrew Hunt Jr. For Councilman at Large Western Division, it’s Democrat Earl F. Dauterive III versus Republicans Ray Lauga Jr. and Richard “Richie” Lewis—as well as Independent Thomas “Zig” Pacaccio Jr.
This article originally published in the September 14, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
