Jeremy Alford and David Jacobs: Closed primaries to also decide Supreme Court and PSC seats

Congress, and the fight for Sen. Bill Cassidy’s seat, will headline the April 18, 2026, election that features Louisiana’s first use of party primaries since 2010.
But those aren’t the only races that will use the new system. 
Lawmakers also included the Louisiana Supreme Court, Public Service Commission and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in that number.
At least two of those categories, and maybe all three, will see April elections. 
BESE members generally are elected on the same schedule as the governor.
But Paul Hollis, the former state lawmaker elected during the last cycle, has been tapped by the Trump administration to lead the U.S. Mint, which means he is likely to step down soon. 
But when? Senate Democrats have been holding up confirmation of Trump’s appointees, even for relatively nonpolitical civilian roles.
However, Senate Republicans recently changed the chamber’s rules to speed up the process, confirming 48 nominees in a single vote two weeks ago. 
Hollis has completed hundreds of pages of paperwork, and he has a sense that the intensive background checks are completed or nearly so.
He hopes the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will take up his nomination within the next 30 days. 
“It might be November before I finally resign this seat,” he said. 
If that timeline pans out, the race for the Northshore-based District 1 BESE seat could make the April ballot. Dec. 17 is the deadline for special elections or propositions, according to a spokesperson for the Secretary of State’s office. 
James Garvey, who Hollis replaced on the BESE, is among those looking to make a run.
He didn’t run for reelection in 2023 because he had reached his term limit, but he’s hoping that spending a year out of office might make him eligible again. 
Garvey said he has asked attorneys he knows to look into the question and gotten differing opinions. Seeking an attorney general’s opinion might be one of the next steps, though he hasn’t done so yet. 
“More digging needs to be done,” Garvey said. 
Former senator and one-time candidate for governor Sharon Hewitt is a potential candidate to watch.
She finished second to Garvey in the 2011 race for the seat. 
Another is Ellie Schroder, a retired school administrator and wife to former state treasurer and gubernatorial candidate John Schroder. 
Kevin Guitterrez, who directs strategic development for Discovery Schools in Kenner and is active in Jefferson Parish GOP politics, also may throw his hat in the ring. 
Gov. Jeff Landry would have the authority to appoint someone to fill the seat until the special election is held. That person might have the upper hand in the election, assuming they wanted to run. 
Meanwhile, we don’t have to speculate about whether the PSC will be on the April ballot. District 1 and District 5 are both on the schedule, and the current officeholders, Eric Skrmetta and Foster Campbell respectively, are term-limited. 
At least two candidates are off and running in each district. Rep. Mark Wright, who chairs the Republican Legislative Delegation and has reached his House term limit, is looking to replace Skrmetta.
So is John Mason, or “Big John,” who ran against Skrmetta in 2020 and finished fourth in the open primary. 
Up in north Louisiana’s District 5, Rep. Larry Bagley has launched his candidacy. Bagley’s professional background is in education, and he is serving his final term in the House. 
Caddo Parish Commissioner John Atkins also wants to succeed Campbell. Atkins is a partner in a Shreveport asset management company. 
Associate Justice Cade Cole stepped onto the Supreme Court without a fight just this year when no one else qualified for the special election to replace James Genovese, now president of Northwestern State University.
Gov. Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill are among the many high-profile officeholders who have backed him, and he will likely be heavily favored to win if anyone decides to challenge him this time. 
Associate Justice Jay McCallum was elected in 2020. Under current law, he is only eligible for one more term due to his age. 
McCallum said he isn’t aware of anyone running against him, but he isn’t taking chances. 
“I always run like I’m running from behind,” he said. 
Obviously, a lot can change between now and qualifying in January, but there’s a good chance that a Republican will be favored to win every race discussed in this story. If the GOP goes undefeated, that would only change the partisan makeup of the PSC, where Davante Lewis would be the last Democrat left.
For more Louisiana political news, visit www. LaPolitics.com or follow Alford on X @ LaPoliticsNow.