UPDATED: Incumbents Leonard, Bias keep MC Council seats; Blanchard wins in District 5
Morgan City voters returned two incumbent City Council members to office Tuesday, while a political newcomer defeated a five-term councilman.
In complete but unofficial returns, District 2 incumbent Bonnie Leonard, making her first campaign since her interim appointment in April, defeated former parish Chief Administrative
Officer Jean Paul Bourg, who has a long record in public works for Morgan City, Drainage District No. 2 and St. Mary Parish.
Leonard finished with 409 votes, or 52%, to 374, or 48%, for Bourg.
Two 20-year veterans ran for re-election Tuesday. In District 3, incumbent Ronnie "Ron" Bias was an outright winner in a three-candidate contest.
Bias won a sixth term with 369 votes, or 56%. He finished ahead of Marcelle B. Hoskins, who had 197 votes, or 30%, and Julia "Blaze" Johnson, who had 91 votes, or 143%.
Another five-term incumbent, Louis Tamporello, lost his re-election bid to businessman and former police officer Eriq Blanchard.
Blanchard received 627 votes, or 62%, to 383, or 38%, for Tamporello, who is involved a variety of community organizations in addition to his council service.
Mayor Lee Dragna and Councilmen Tim Hymel and Steve Domangue qualified for re-election without opposition.
Voters in Recreation District No. 1 approved a 10-year renewal of a 3-mill property tax. The proposition was failing by a single vote in early voting, but Tuesday voting lifted the measure to a 201-141 approval, or 59%-41%.
Also Tuesday:
--For a third time, St. Mary voters supported former Republican President Donald Trump, 65%-34% over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
--Incumbent U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, drew 67% of the St. Mary vote in his bid for a fifth two-year term. Across his 3rd Congressional District, he was leading the field with 71% of the vote with about 60% of precincts reporting.
--Seventy-seven percent of St. Mary voters supported a state constitutional amendment that would put Louisiana's share of federal revenue from offshore alternative energy sources, including wind and solar, into a fund for coastal restoration.
With 60 of 64 parishes reporting, the amendment was passing 72%-28% statewide.
--The St. Mary voter turnout in the presidential election was 65.3%.
No runoffs will be on the Dec. 7 general election ballot. But voters in Hospital Service District No. 2, which owns the Morgan City hospital operated under lease by Ochsner Health, will decide the fate of a proposed 9-mill property tax for work on the hospital's physical plant and for scholarships in health care fields.
Presidential Electors
Runs in multiple parishes
St. Mary votes only
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 46 of 46 precincts
7,010 Kamala D. Harris, Tim Walz Democratic 34%
40 Jill Stein, Ajamu Baraka Green 0%
36 Chase Oliver, Mike ter Maat Libertarian 0%
13,669 Donald J. Trump, "JD" Vance Republican 65%
17 Peter Sonski, Lauren Onak American Solidarity Party 0%
14 Randall Terry, Stephen Broden Constitution Party 0%
29 Mattie Preston, Shannel Conner Godliness, Truth, Justice 0%
18 Cornel West, Melina Abdullah Justice For All 0%
5 Claudia de la Cruz, Karina Garcia Socialism and Liberation 0%
3 Rachele Fruit, Dennis Richter Socialist Workers Party 0%
53 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Nicole Shanahan We The People 0%Total: 20,894
Statewide
Early & Absentee Reporting - 62 of 64 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 3672 of 3805 precincts Votes
653,641 Kamala D. Harris, Tim Walz Democratic 36%
6,180 Jill Stein, Ajamu Baraka Green 0%
6,093 Chase Oliver, Mike ter Maat Libertarian 0%
1,131,108 Donald J. Trump, "JD" Vance Republican 62%
2,055 Peter Sonski, Lauren Onak American Solidarity Party 0%
1,309 Randall Terry, Stephen Broden Constitution Party 0%
2,664 Mattie Preston, Shannel Conner Godliness, Truth, Justice 0%
2,182 Cornel West, Melina Abdullah Justice For All 0%
1,182 Claudia de la Cruz, Karina Garcia Socialism and Liberation 0%
333 Rachele Fruit, Dennis Richter Socialist Workers Party 0%
6,071 Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Nicole Shanahan We The People 0%
Total: 1,812,818
U. S. Representative
3rd Congressional District
Runs in multiple parishes
St. Mary votes only
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 46 of 46 precincts
4,634 Priscilla Gonzalez (DEM) 24%
13,142 Clay Higgins (REP) 67%
444 "Xan" John (REP) 2%
1,314 Sadi Summerlin (DEM) 7%
Total: 19,534
Unofficial Turnout: 61.0%
Districtwide
Early & Absentee Reporting - 11 of 11 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 545 of 557 precincts
59,081 Priscilla Gonzalez (DEM) 19%
224,670 Clay Higgins (REP) 71%
12,982 "Xan" John (REP) 4%
21,042 Sadi Summerlin (DEM) 7%
Total: 317,775
Councilman
District 2, City of Morgan City
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 3 of 3 precincts
374 Jean Paul Bourg (REP) 48%
409 Bonnie F. Leonard (REP) 52%
Total: 783
Unofficial Turnout: 56.4%
Councilman
District 3, City of Morgan City
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 5 of 5 precincts
369 Ronnie "Ron" Bias (DEM) 56%
197 Marcelle B. Hoskins (DEM) 30%
91 Julia "Blaze" Johnson (NOPTY) 14%
Total: 657
Unofficial Turnout: 49.2%
Councilman
District 5, City of Morgan City
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 4 of 4 precincts
627 Eriq Blanchard (NOPTY) 62%
383 Louis Tamporello, Jr. (NOPTY) 38%
Total: 1,010
Unofficial Turnout: 67.2%
CA No. 1 (Act No. 408, 2024 - HB 300)
Provides relative to federal proceeds from alternative energy productionRuns in multiple parishes
St. Mary votes only
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 46 of 46 precincts
14,926 YES 77%
4,369 NO 23%
Total: 19,295
Unofficial Turnout: 60.3%
Statewide
Early & Absentee Reporting - 62 of 64 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 3745 of 3805 precincts
1,231,005 YES 72%
469,869 NO 28%
Total: 1,700,874
Recreation District No. 1
3 Mills Cont. 10 Yrs.
Early & Absentee Reporting - 1 of 1 parishes
Election Day Reporting - 2 of 2 precincts
202 YES 59%
141 NO 41%Total: 343
Unofficial Turnout: 44.9%