Holly Boffy of Lafayette defeated Dale Bayard of Lake Charles in an overwhelming sweep of the nine parishes involved in the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 7 race.

Boffy, who received 81,544 votes, or 66 percent of the vote, defeated the incumbent Bayard, who lost a chance at a fourth consecutive term Saturday.

Bayard said Gov. Bobby Jindal’s endorsement of his opponent was “a big help” for Boffy.

“Louisiana doesn’t want a leader; they want a ruler,” Bayard said. “This election was all about if you did what the governor wanted, you win the election. The voters wanted change. This is an anti-incumbency movement in most cases.”

Bayard said he intends to work as a financial adviser in Lake Charles.

“I’m going to focus more on business and family. That’s very rewarding. So, it’s not like I’m going to lose here,” he said.

Boffy, a former teacher with 10 years of classroom experience, was the 2010 Louisiana state teacher of the year. This was her first run for public office.

“I’m looking forward to developing relationships with the other BESE members and working together with the other stakeholders in the state to make great decisions on behalf of our students,” Boffy said.

“I’m excited for the children of Louisiana. I’m grateful for all of the people who came out and supported us on Election Day. I’m looking forward to moving education forward in our state.”

BESE oversees the state budget for education. The district is made up of most of Lafayette Parish and all of Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis, St. Landry and Vermilion parishes.

Election Results By Parish

Acadia — Bayard,4,451; Boffy, 9,891.

Allen — Bayard,2,672; Boffy, 3,698.

Beauregard — Bayard,3,061; Boffy, 4,835.

Calcasieu — Bayard,12,372; Boffy, 20,694.

Cameron — Bayard, 1,052; Boffy, 1,880.

Jeff Davis — Bayard, 4,080; Boffy, 4,734.

Lafayette — Bayard, 8,763; Boffy 27,977.

St. Landry — Bayard, 252; Boffy, 529.

Vermilion — Bayard, 4,757; Boffy, 8,157.BESE-District-7-Seat-Picture