While political fireworks have been popping for quite some time in Caddo Parish, things are relatively quiet in Bossier Parish. Two state Senate races affect Bossier Parish, but not all voters will get to vote on them. It depends upon where one lives. In Senate District 36, three candidates are running to replace term-limited Republican Sen. Robert Adley. The candidates are state Rep. Henry Burns, attorney Ryan Gatti, and businessman and farmer Todd Hollenshead. All three are Republicans. A few voters in Bossier live in Senate District 37, however, incumbent Republican Sen. Barrow Peacock has no opposition.
In House District 8, incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Johnson will go unopposed.
In House District 9, where Burns is leaving to run for the Senate, two candidates have qualified to run – Republicans Dodie Horton and Mike McHalffey.
There is a parishwide race for Clerk of Court. Two candidates are in this race – Monica Hudson and Jill Sessions. While nearly every Caddo Commissioner is being challenged in what has become a controversial and contentious election for incumbents, their counterparts, the Bossier Parish Police Jury, are smoothly sailing along. Out of the 12 Bossier Parish Police Jury districts, ten jurors have no opposition and two jurors have drawn competition. They ten jurors with no opposition are: Bob Brotherton (District 1), Glenn Benton (District
2), Wanda Bennett (District 3), Sonny Cook (District 4), Rick Avery (District 6), Jimmy Cochran (District 7), Doug Rimmer (District 8), Jerome Darby (District 10), Wayne Hammack (District 11), and Paul “Mac” Plummer (District 12). In Bossier Parish Police Jury District 5, incumbent Jack “Bump” Skaggs will run against Barry Butler and in District 9, incumbent Fred “Freddy” Shewmake will run against Charles L. Gray. Gray is the only Democrat in either Bossier Parish Police Jury race. All other candidates are Republicans.
There is a new poll on the Louisiana governor’s race, but there is not much new in it. Triumph Campaigns, which conducted the poll, admits,
“…overall, the ballot for governor has not changed much.”
The survey was conducted with 1,019 respondents on Sept. 1-2. The margin of error is +/-2.9%. Here are the results:
State Rep. John Bel Edwards (D) – 31.4%.
U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R) – 30.6%.
PSC Scott Angelle (R) – 14.2%.
Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne (R) – 13.2%.
Undecided – 10.6%.
Triumph concludes that Edwards is beginning to galvanize the African-American vote.. While the poll shows him polling at 74% among blacks, once the campaign is in full-swing, some analysts believe he will receive 90 to 95% of that vote.
The poll also shows that Vitter has a big lead among white voters. He leads all challengers by at least 23 points among whites. Among Republicans, he has support of 55%.
Triumph also polled the race for Lt. Governor. Here are the results:
Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden (D) – 31%.
Jefferson Parish President John Young (R) – 25%.
Former Plaquemines President Billy Nungesser – 24%.
The results in the race for Commissioner of Insurance:
Incumbent Jim Donelon (R) – 50%.
Charlotte McGehee (D) – 31%.
Matt Parker (R) – 9%.
Lou Gehrig Burnett is a seasoned veteran of politics. He publishes Fax-Net Update, a weekly political newsletter.
