The Covington City Council will soon lose both of its at-large members to the St. Tammany Parish Council.
One might think a single special election could take care of filling the seats. One would be wrong.
It will take two elections: the first on March 23, the second perhaps not until Nov. 5.
Joel Watson, spokesperson for the Louisiana secretary of state's office, agreed that having two elections might seem odd. But, he said, the timing of each Covington council member's election to the Parish Council dictates the timing of elections for their successors.
Larry Rolling.
Rick Smith won a Parish Council seat on Oct. 14, during the primary. But Larry Rolling didn’t win his Parish Council seat until the Nov. 18 runoff election, three days after the cutoff to set a special election on March 23.
“The deadline was Nov. 15, so that was too late for the spring” ballot, Watson said.
Covington's District E council member, Mark Verret, said he plans to run for the at-large seat March 23, and hopes the council can find an election date for the second at-large seat before Nov. 5.
“That’s certainly the council’s intent,” he said. “This is, for lack of a better word, a quirk in the election system that Covington has never faced before.”
Steering the first special election onto the March 23 ballot was a no-brainer, Verret said. That ballot includes the U.S. presidential party primaries, seats on Republican and Democrat parish organizations and a special election to fill the remaining three years of District Attorney Warren Montgomery’s term in office.
Montgomery died Nov. 10.
Rick Smith.
Smith and Rolling were sworn into office on the Covington council in July, so whoever wins the special elections to succeed them will have lengthy terms in office.
Covington's District B council member, John Botsford, has said he will run for Rolling’s at-large seat.
There would be even more dominoes to fall if Verret and Botsford were both to win at-large seats, creating the need for special elections to fill their district seats.
Qualifying for the March 23 ballot, including the race for Smith's at-large seat on the Covington Council, will be held Dec. 13-15.