ELECTION RESULTS: Runoff for Jeff Davis sheriff set

Published 10:13 pm Saturday, October 14, 2023

Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff Ivy Woods and Kyle Miers will face off in a Nov. 14 runoff election.

There will also be a November runoff election for the Police Jury District 2 seat and justice of the peace Ward 1.

In the sheriff’s race, Woods led with 3,447 votes, or 42 percent. Miers received 2,708.votes, or 33 percent. A third candidate Chris Myers got 1,957 votes or 24 percent.

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Here are the results of the Police Jury races:

In District 2, voters will decide a runoff election between Chad Woods and Susette Mouton. Woods gained 302 votes, or 45 percent, with Mouton garnering 178 votes, or 26 percent. Two other candidates, Ann Bowman got 136 votes or 20 percent with Timothy Viator getting 58 votes, or 9 percent.

In District 9, David Lejeune unseated Police Juror Curt Guillory. Lejeune received 350 votes, or 60 percent, while Guillory got 237 votes, or 40 percent.

In District 13, former police juror William “Bill” LaBouve also unseated current Police Juror Chad Talbot with 404 votes, or 52 percent. Talbot garnered 258 votes, or 33 percent. A third candidate, Dennis Vanicor, received 120 votes, or 15 percent of the votes.

In the justice of the peace Ward 1 race Pam Leblanc and Andrew Benoit appear headed to a runoff after Leblanc drew 534 votes, or 44 percent, with Benoit receiving 345 votes, or 29 percent. A third candidate, Kenny Hebert had 329 votes, or 27 percent.

Jeff Davis Parish voters favored incumbent Mark Abraham in the state Senate House 25 race with 6,697 votes or 84 percent over opponent Joshua “Josh” Lewis who carried 1,233 votes or 16 percent.

Voters also supported local rice former Kevin Berken in the race for the District 7 seat on the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education with 4,150 votes, or 53 percent over challengers Cathy S. Banks and Erick Knezek

In statewide races, voters favored Jeff Landray for governor; William “Billy” Nungesser for lieutenant governor; Mike Francis for secretary of state Liz Baker Merrill for attorney general and John Fleming for treasurer.

Voters accepted all four proposed constitutional amendments.

Voters in rural areas of Jeff Davis Parish renewed taxes for maintenance, improvement and operation of roads, fire protection districts and drainage in several areas for an additional 10 years.

Voters in rural areas of Jennings, Lake Arthur and Hathaway, approved a 10-year, 11.33-mill property tax for Road District 10 of Wards 1, 2 and 3 by 1,224 or 63 percent with a voter turnout of 43 percent.. The tax, which generates $933,000 a year, provides for operation, maintenance and improvement of roads and bridges in the district.

Voters in Fire Protection District 1, which includes areas outside of Roanoke, passed a 10.49-mill property tax renewal 190 votes or by 79 percent. It will generate $54,000 annually.

Voters in the Lake Arthur area approved a 5-mill property tax renewal for Fire Protection District 4 in a vote of 466 or by 71 percent. It will generate  $185,800 annually for construction and improvement of fire protection facilities to include fire trucks and other equipment.

Voters in the Grand Marais Gravity Drainage District, which includes the areas north of Jennings and areas surrounding Jennings, passed a 10-year, 6.7-mille property tax renewal for maintenance, operation and improvement of the drainage system by a vote of 616 or 73 percent in favor, with a voter turnout of 39 percent. It is expected to generate $173,800 annually.

Voter turnout was 40 percent, with more than 7,700 eligible votes cast, according to complete but unofficial results from the secretary of state.