Jones, Driskell win easily; Allain, LaGrange headed for state Senate runoff

Former state Rep. Sam Jones will be the new St. Mary Parish president and Gary Driskell will be the next sheriff after easy election wins Saturday.

Other races remain unsettled heading into Nov. 18 runoffs, including the race to succeed influential state Sen. Bret Allain

Other expected runoffs did not materialize, including the race for Parish Council At-Large District 10, where incumbent Gwenolyn Hidalgo beat two high-profile opponents.

One Parish Council incumbent was defeated Saturday: James Bennett of Morgan City, who lost to James "Jimmy" Davis Jr.

State Senate 21

The runoff will pit two candidates with broad name recognition in St. Mary: Robert Allain of Franklin, who won 44% of Saturday's vote in complete but unofficial returns, and Henry

"Bo" LaGrange of Patterson, who garnered 31%. Both men are Republicans. Businessman Stephen Swiber got 25%.

Allain is a sugar cane farmer and businessman in his own right as well as being the son of Bret Allain. LaGrange was the parish's chief administrative officer for 27 years before retiring earlier this year.

"The next step is to get out and hit the reset button and get after it," LaGrange said Saturday night.

LaGrange ran on his background in parish government and his ability to bring people together to look for solutions.

"That's one of the strengths I've been running on," LaGrange said. "I've been telling people I have the work experience and the life experience."

Allain ran on a platform of four reforms: taxes, education, insurance and torts. He often talked about the fact that his sister left St. Mary for a career and said he hopes to make the parish a place where more people stay to live and work.

Allain, 33, said he heard on the campaign trail from people who believe it's time for a new generation to move into leadership.

"Young blood, fresh ideas, the next generation -- that's what I heard a lot," Allain said.

House 50

Vincent St. Blanc III, R-Franklin, won easy election to a second term. He drew 72% of the vote across the district to 28% for Gloria Robertson, D-Franklin.

In District 51, which reaches into the Morgan City area, incumbent Beryl Amedee, R-Gray, qualified without opposition.

Parish president

Jones, longtime Franklin mayor and state representative, won 58% of the vote to 42% for political newcomer Timothy LeBlanc.

Jones had criticized the parish government for its level of bonded debt, and said he's been told the parish was having trouble meeting its payroll. Incumbent President David Hanagriff defended the borrowing for infrastructure projects and denied the allegation about payroll.

Jones insisted Saturday that his information came from inside the administration.

Jones said during the campaign that he wants to serve a single four-year term and will devote himself to the office.

"We need to have a full-time parish president," Jones said Saturday. "We need to get into the debt and see how much we have."

Sheriff

Driskell, currently the chief deputy for retiring Sheriff Blaze Smith, ran first in a four-candidate field, winning 77% of the vote. Kenny P. Scelfo Sr. got 17%, Jason Granger 4% and Cody J. Thibodaux got 3%.

Driskell lives in Morgan City, which will make him a rare St. Mary sheriff from the east end of the parish.

Parish Council:

--In At-Large District 10, current council Chair Hidalgo of Bayou Vista got 51% of Saturday's vote against two well-known opponents to avoid a runoff. Angelena Brocato of Patterson, a member of the Hospital Service District No. 2 board, got 28%, and Patterson Chief Financial Officer Reginald Weary got 22 %.

--In District 1,  incumbent the Rev. Craig Mathews held off a challenge from Baldwin Alderman Herbert Bell, 58-42%

--In District 3, former Parish Councilman Peter Soprano won a spot in the Nov. 18 runoff  against incumbent Rodney Olander. Olander drew 47% of the vote to 38% for Soprano. Whitney Bourque got 15%. All three candidates are from Franklin.

--In District 4, businessman David W. Hill of Bayou Vista won the seat being vacated by incumbent Scott Ramsey. Hill got 62% of Saturday's vote to 21% for Myron Bourque of Berwick and 18% for Javon Charles of Bayou Vista.

--In District 5, incumbent Leslie "Les" Rulf will meet Douglas Streety Jr. in a runoff. Rulf got 40% of the vote; Streety got 32%; and Charles "Butchie" McKinley got 28%. All three men are from Patterson.

--In District 6, incumbent Patrick J. Hebert won easily with 60% of the vote to 40% for challenger Shawn Canty. Both men are from Berwick.

--In District 7, Davis got 55% of Saturday's vote to defeat incumbent Bennett, who got 45%. Both men are from Morgan City.

--In District 8, incumbent Mark Duhon will meet Carlo Gagliano Jr. in a runoff. Duhon got 47% of Saturday's vote, while Gagliano got 31%. Eriq Blanchard finished out of the running with 22%.

Duhon and Gagliano were on opposite sides of a recent debate on a rate increase proposed by the water board that Gagliano chairs.  

Both men are from Amelia. Blanchard is from Morgan City.

Three council incumbents qualified for re-election without opposition: J Ina of Franklin in District 2, Dr.Kristi Prejeant of Centerville in At-Large District 9 and Dean Adams of Morgan City in At-Large District 11.

Three men also qualified for parishwide offices without opposition: incumbents Dr. Eric Melancon of Patterson, coroner, and Jarrod K. Longman of Morgan City, assessor; and Greg Aucoin of Morgan City, who will succeed retiring Clerk of Court Cliff Dresel.

Propositions

Voters in Hospital Service District No. 1, which operates the Bayou Bend Health System in Franklin, approved a 3.1-mill property tax renewal, 66-34%.

In Morgan City, voters approved a proposed charter amendment that will officially require election of City Council members from geographic districts.

The charter was originally written to establish at-large election of council members, but the city began electing members from  districts in 2000 under a federal consent decree. The charter had never been updated to reflect that fact.

The amendment passed 75-25%.

Returns
State Senator -- 21st Senatorial District
Precincts districtwide
Early & Absentee Reporting - 6 of 6 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 103 of 103 precincts
Votes
10,815 Robert Allain (REP) 44%
7,745 Henry "Bo" LaGrange (REP) 31%
6,138 Stephen Swiber (REP) 25%
Total: 24,698
Unofficial Turnout: 33.9%

State Representative -- 50th Representative District
Precincts districtwide
Early & Absentee Reporting - 2 of 2 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 42 of 42 precincts
Votes
2,808 Gloria R. Robertson (DEM) 28%
7,206 Vincent St. Blanc III (REP) 72%
Total: 10,014
Unofficial Turnout: 35.1%

Parish President
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 46 of 46 precincts
Votes
6,418 Sam Jones (DEM) 58%
4,605 Timothy "Tim" LeBlanc (DEM) 42%
Total: 11,023
Unofficial Turnout: 34.9%

Council Member -- District 1
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 9 of 9 precincts
Votes
683 Herbert "H.B." Bell (DEM) 44%
856 Craig A. Mathews (DEM) 56%
Total: 1,539
Unofficial Turnout: 33.5%

Council Member -- District 3
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 8 of 8 precincts
Votes
251 Whitney Bourque (DEM) 15%
794 Rodney Olander (REP) 47%
651 Peter Soprano (IND) 38%
Total: 1,696
Unofficial Turnout: 43.4%

Council Member -- District 4
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 6 of 6 precincts
Votes
237 Myron Bourque (NOPTY) 21%
207 Javon Charles (NOPTY) 18%
711 David W. Hill (REP) 62%
Total: 1,155
Unofficial Turnout: 31.9%

Council Member -- District 5
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 5 of 5 precincts
Votes
397 Charles "Butchie" McKinley (DEM) 29%
548 Leslie "Les" Rulf (REP) 40%
441 Douglas Streety, Jr. (REP) 32%
Total: 1,386
Unofficial Turnout: 34.3%

Council Member -- District 6
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 6 of 6 precincts
Votes
587 Shawn Canty (REP) 40%
876 Patrick J. Hebert (REP) 60%
Total: 1,463
Unofficial Turnout: 36.5%

Council Member -- District 7
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 5 of 5 precincts
Votes
676 James "Hammer" Bennett, Jr. (NOPTY) 46%
797 James "Jimmy" Davis, Jr. (REP) 54%
Total: 1,473
Unofficial Turnout: 37.8%

Council Member -- District 8
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 6 of 6 precincts Votes
243 Eriq Blanchard (NOPTY) 21%
547 Mark A. Duhon (NOPTY) 48%
345 Carlo Gagliano, Jr. (NOPTY) 30%
Total: 1,135
Unofficial Turnout: 34.9%

Council Member at Large -- District 10
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 46 of 46 precincts Votes
3,116 Angelena Brocato (DEM) 27%
5,774 Gwendolyn "Gwen" Hidalgo (REP) 51%
2,461 Reginald D. Weary (DEM) 22%
Total: 11,351
Unofficial Turnout: 35.9%

City of Morgan City -- Amend HRC Section 2-01(a) - CC
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 9 of 9 precincts Votes
1,927 YES 75%
636 NO 25%
Total: 2,563
Unofficial Turnout: 36.0%

Hospital Service District No. 1 -- 3.10 Mills Renewal - BOC - 10 Yrs.
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 22 of 22 precincts Votes
2,937 YES 66%
1,537 NO 34%
Total: 4,474
Unofficial Turnout: 35.0%