The 2024 races for northshore district attorney, mayors of Grand Isle, Mandeville and Madisonville, and a host of other races in the New Orleans area are now set after Friday's qualifying deadline.
The most high-profile local race on March 23 will be district attorney in the 22nd Judicial District, which was left vacant after Warren Montgomery's death from cancer last month.
Collin Sims, interim district attorney, will face off against Vincent Wynne, an attorney who ran unsuccessfully against Montgomery for the office in 2020. Both are Republicans.
A third candidate, Judge Raymond Childress, had previously announced his candidacy, but did not qualify to run. He will step down from his seat on the bench in the 22nd Judicial District at the end of the year.
Mandeville mayor
In Mandeville, Clay Madden, the incumbent mayor, will face a challenge from two 11th hour entrants into the race: Billy Rosenthal of Old Mandeville and Jeff Lyons, both of whom qualified on Friday.
Neither Rosenthal nor Lyons immediately responded to a request for comment. All three candidates are Republicans. And seven candidates are running for five seats on the city council.
Madisonville mayor
In Madisonville, the incumbent, Mayor Jean Pelloat, an independent, also took on a challenger who qualified on Friday afternoon: John Brewster, a Republican.
Brewster did not immediately respond to a request for comment. For the town council, eight candidates are running for five seats.
Grand Isle mayor
The longtime mayor of Grand Isle, David Camardelle, a Democrat who’s been in office since 1997, faces a challenge from Republican “Jimbo” Adams, a retiree who’s lived in Grand Isle for the past five years.
Four people qualified to run to become Grand Isle’s chief of police, and 12 people are running for five seats on the town council.
Covington council
And in the lone race in Covington, Mark Verret, an Independent, is unopposed in his bid for an at-large seat on the city council.
New Orleans judges
There are two judgeships up for grabs in New Orleans, and two candidates running unopposed.
LaKeisha Jefferson has no challengers in her bid for an open seat on the Orleans Parish Civil District Court bench in the court’s Division H, a domestic section opened when Judge Monique Barial moved to its Division D. Nor does Dianne Alexander, who’s running for judgeship at 1st City Court, a seat left open when Judge Veronica Henry was elected in October to the Civil District Court.
Jefferson, a New Orleans native and graduate of Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, has litigated family law for nearly two decades — experience she said would help her effectively run the court’s domestic docket. She’ll aim to reduce a growing number of cases by knocking out the least time-consuming proceedings in a dedicated day each week, she said.
Alexander has held a variety of roles, including as a former New Orleans city attorney and as general counsel for the Louisiana State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors, according to her campaign website.
She ran unsuccessfully in 2020 for Civil District Court.
Jefferson Parish judges
Three candidates are in the running to replace Hon. Scott Schlegel in the Division D seat on the 24th Judicial District Court bench.
Jacqueline "Jackie" Maloney, Jerry Smith, Lindsey Valenti will compete for the judgeship in Jefferson Parish. All three are Republicans.
Presidential party primary
A general election will take place April 27 if no local candidate secures over 50% of the vote in the primary.
Alongside the those races, voters in Louisiana also will cast their ballots in the 2024 presidential party primary election.
President Joe Biden, without any major challengers, is likely to become the Democratic nominee; former President Donald Trump is leading in the polls to become the Republican nominee.
