Roberts, Capella win in Jeff Parish

15th April 2011 · 0 Comments

Roberts, Capella win in Jeff. Parish

By Christopher Tidmore

Contributing Writer

On the surface, it would appear that Jefferson voters are satisfied with their current crop of elected officials. After all, on Saturday, April 2, 2011, Thomas Capella and Chris Roberts were politically promoted into the Assessor’s Office and the Council At-Large position by overwhelming margins.

Despite their colleagues being under federal investigation over the River Birch Landfill, and each Councilman forced to testify before the Grand Jury just as the stood in a special election, it made little difference in the margin of either’s victory. Thomas Capella won the Assessor’s post over a four candidate field with 74.33 percent of the vote, or 32,857 ballots.

Chris Roberts earned promotion from his West Bank district Council seat to the Parish Wide At-Large Post with a similar 76.21 percent of the vote or 32,890 to Harahan Councilman Tim Baudier’s 23.79 percent or 10,269. However, his celebration may have been cut short as not long after the votes were counted, rumors began circulating that current State House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, is considering challenging him in the Fall.

Turnout dynamics were low on both sides of the River. Only in Kenner were the totals higher, due to the six milliage hikes and renewals on the ballot. (All taxes failed by nearly 2/3 margins or better.)

Both Roberts and Capella would win nearly every precinct on both sides of the River, having outspent their opponents nearly 15 to 1 in advertising and GOTV efforts. Yet, on the East Bank, the election was far closer, showing a growing political disenchantment in the richer, more Caucasian East than the poorer, more African-American west.

The Louisiana Weekly conducted a precinct by precinct survey in Council District 2. The District, currently held by the term-limited Elton Lagasse, encompasses most of central Metairie, Old Jefferson, Harahan, and jumps the River to Westwego. In other words, it contains municipalities and regions that have previously elected both Tim Baudier and Chris Roberts.

For most of its Metairie voters, though, this was the first time they met either candidate. Roberts won District 2, but by a far closer margin than his parishwide totals, 5,317 votes to 2,032 for Baudier.

It was a solid victory. A world of difference, though, exists for Tim Baudier in earning 38.2 percent in District 2 than his just under a quarter of the votes parishwide. Mainly, in that Baudier plans to run for the District seat in the fall, when term limits kick in for Elton Lagasse.

The longtime Councilman seeks promotion to the other Council At-Large seat now vacated by Thomas Capella, as the latter assumes the Assessor’s office. That election will be in the fall, currently with the other parish elections.

Put another way, 38 percent of the vote provides a strong foundation for a race just seven months away. Baudier has a much stronger chance in October, with just about four out every 10 voters having already backed his candidacy previously, than might otherwise appear based on the parishwide totals.

Reportedly, State House Speaker Jim Tucker is conducting a poll, testing his appeal in running parishwide in Jefferson and according to sources, the results may determine if Tucker will challenge Roberts in the fall. Many have thought that the legislatively term-limited Tucker would choose to run against Democratic State Senator David Heitme-ier in October. However, persons wishing to remain anonymous who are close to Tucker note that the powerful speaker – popular with Democrats as well as Republicans after defying the Jindal Admin-istration during the Governor’s attempt to gerrymander several Jefferson GOP seats into Orleans – might make a more formidable challenger to Roberts, an incumbent of seven months than a fellow West Banker.

Tucker comes from Terrytown, an area that cuts into Roberts’ base in a way that Tim Baudier never could.