Last St. Mary legislative race goes to runoff

The missing piece in St. Mary’s state legislative representation falls into place beginning Saturday, when early voting for the Nov. 16 primary opens.
State Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, qualified for reelection without opposition. State Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Gray, easily won reelection over Clayton Voisin in the Oct. 12 primary. Amedee’s District 51 covers portions of extreme eastern St. Mary.
That leaves House District 50, which covers the bulk of the parish. And it leaves the runoff between two Franklin men, Republican Vincent J. St. Blanc and Raymond Harris, who lists no party affiliation.
St. Blanc was the top vote-getter in the five-candidate primary field with 3,713 votes, or 33%, of the vote in St. Mary. Harris won a place in the runoff with 2,936 votes, or 26%.
Districtwide, including St. Martin votes, St. Blanc got 3,921 votes, or 33%, while Harris received 2,961, or 25%.
That was with a full ballot of state and parish offices that drew voter turnout of about 46%. This time the top of a shorter ballot will feature the runoff between incumbent Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards and Republican challenger Eddie Rispone.
Harris and St. Blanc both talk about going after voters the old-fashioned way, knocking on doors and speaking to small groups, in a race where the two runoff contestants will probably end up spending less than $30,000 combined.
“The pace has picked up and been more intense,” Harris said. “I’ve actually lost weight.”
He finds that as the runoff draws nearer, people are starting to pay more attention.
“People are getting more interested,” Harris said.
St. Blanc sees something else, an impact from the nonstop political battles in the nation’s capital.
“They believe what’s going on in Washington is what’s going on in the Louisiana Legislature,” St. Blanc said. “It isn’t.”
St. Blanc’s campaign emphasizes his experience as a 13-year member of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System’s Board of Supervisors. That experience includes efforts to improve St. Mary’s community colleges, including the integration of Morgan City’s Young Memorial campus into the community college system, and working with the Legislature to get the necessary legislation passed.
“Come in and we’ll change your life and create a future,” St. Blanc said.
And when workers are trained, economic development will follow, he said.
Harris points to his 13 years of experience as Franklin’s mayor.
He emphasizes the need to acquire the resources needed to make St. Mary attractive to potential employers.
Whoever wins will succeed Franklin Democrat Sam Jones in the House. Jones has been active in key local issues such as the acquisition of a new management company for Morgan City’s hospital and funding for a permanent flood control structure on Bayou Chene. He may be a tough act to follow.
“I’m not intimidated by the challenge,” Harris said. “I feel I’m up to the challenge.”
“I can be effective, too,” St. Blanc said.
The District 50 race could play a role, one way or another, in the growth of Republican strength in the Legislature.
Republicans have already won enough seats for a veto-proof majority in the state Senate. Whether the House follows suit depends on the Nov. 16 runoffs.
Also appearing on the St. Mary ballots in the Nov. 16 primary:
—The Parish Council District 3 runoff between Rodney Olander and Peter Soprano.
—The Parish Council At-Large District 10 runoff between Jeremy A. Chesteen and Gwendolyn Landry Hidalgo, which will appear on all parish ballots.
—The Louisiana secretary of state runoff between incumbent Kyle Ardoin and “Gwen” Collins-Greenup.
—A 7½-mill property tax renewal for Recreation District No. 5. The tax costs $18.75 a year for a $100,000 primary home, or $93.75 for a $200,000 primary home.
Early voting runs Nov. 2-9, excluding Sunday. The hours are 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
St. Mary voters can cast early ballots at the Parish Courthouse in Franklin or the Morgan City Registrar of Voters Office, 301 Third St. Bring a photo ID.

This story has been changed to reflect vote Oct. 12 primary totals both in St. Mary and districtwide.