On the final day of qualifying, the race for the 5th Congressional District seat ended up with 13 candidates.
The 5th District includes much of northeast Louisiana and stretches south to Opelousas.
Qualifying ended on Friday with a two-way race for St. Landry Parish president.
The race developed on Jan. 20 when qualifying started with Jessie Bellard, interim parish president, and Dwain Buller throwing their hats into the race.
Bellard, of the 700 block of Landreneau Road, Eunice, qualified as a Democrat. Bellard has been serving as interim president.
Buller, of the 100 block of George Buller Road, Bunkie, qualified as a Republican.
The election is to fill the unexpired term of former president Bill Fontenot, who resigned citing health issues in August 2020.
The next full parish president term will be decided in the fall 2023 election.
Three constable jobs were settled with no opposition. They are: Wayne Pitcher, of Palmetto, for District 9 constable justice of the peace; Luke Leger, of Washington, for District 11 constable justice of the peace; and Brenda Manuel, of Washington, for District 13 constable justice of the peace.
Qualifying for the 5th Congressional District seat. Qualifiers were: Chad Conerly, of Kentwood, Republican; Allen Guillory, of Lawtell, Republican; and Horace Melton III, of Shreveport, Republican; Sandra “Candy” Christophe, of Alexandria, Democrat; Julia Letlow, of Rayville, Republican; Sancha Smith, of Opelousas, Republican; Errol Victor Sr., of Slidell, Republican; Jessica Honsinger Hollister, of Bogalusa, Democrat; M.V. “Vinny” Mendoza, of Pontchtoula, Independent; Jim Davis, of Monroe, no party; Jaycee Magnuson, of Opelousas, Republican; Robert Landsden, of Pontchtoula, Republican; and Richard Pannell, of Dry Prong, Republican.
The March 20 ballot also is to include tax votes in Fire District 3 and Gravity District 1 in Ward 3.
The race for the 2nd Congressional District, which includes New Orleans and stretches into Baton Rouge, also drew a crowded field. The seat came open when Democrat Cedric Richmond left Congress to join President Joe Biden’s administration.
A pair of Democratic state senators from New Orleans, Karen Carter Peterson and Troy Carter, are the most high-profile candidates among the 15 who qualified. Democrat Harold John of New Orleans, Harvey Republican Sheldon Vincent, and Brandon Jolicoeur, a New Orleans resident who does not identify with a political party, all threw their hats in the ring Friday.
Republican Chelsea Ardoin of New Orleans, independent Belden “Noonie Man” Batiste of New Orleans, Republican Claston Bernard of Gonzales, Democrat J. Christopher Johnson of Gretna, Democrat Lloyd M. Kelly of New Orleans, Republican Greg Lirette of New Orleans, Democrat Desiree Ontiveros of New Orleans, Democrat Gary Chambers of Baton Rouge, Libertarian Mindy McConnel of New Orleans, and New Orleans Democrat Jenette Porter all qualified earlier in the week.
Jefferey Robinson, a Ruston Republican, claimed a north Louisiana appeals court judgeship when no one else qualified to run. Marcus Hunter, Larry Jefferson, and J. Garland Smith, all Monroe Democrats, are running to be an appeals court judge in the same circuit.
Six candidates are seeking to represent northwest Louisiana’s District 4 on the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education after Tony Davis stepped down. They include John Milkovich, a Democrat-turned-independent and former state legislator from Shreveport who was a vociferous opponent of Common Core education standards.
Also running to replace Davis on the BESE are Republican Shelly McFarland of Winnfield, Republican Michael Melerine of Shreveport, Democrat Emma Shepard of Shreveport, Democrat Cassie Williams of Bossier City, and Cody Whitaker of Winnfield, who does not identify with a political party.
The general election is April 24.
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Reporting from David Jacobs of The Center Square is included in this report.