Changes ahead for police jury; four seats go to runoffs
Note: this story is from Sunday morning's online-only edition covering the results of Saturday's primary election
Three incumbent Lincoln Parish police jurors lost their seats as a result of Saturday’s primary balloting, and two more are headed for the Nov. 16 runoff.
Complete but unofficial returns show District 3 Juror Bobby Bennett, District 5 Juror David Hammons and District 10 Juror Nancy Wilson were defeated.
District 1 incumbent Theresa Wyatt and District 4 incumbent Randy Roberson, the jury’s current president, face runoffs. District 2 incumbent Hazel Hunter, District 8 incumbent Skip Russell and District 12 incumbent Annette Straughter were each re-elected with more than 70% of the vote in their respective districts.
Here’s a look at the primary results.
In District 1, Wyatt and challenger Daphne Gallot-Knighten will face each other in a runoff. Wyatt got 43% of the vote, or 301 votes, to Gallot-Knighten’s 20%, or 141 votes. Contender Charles Owens IV came in third with 19%, 135 votes, while Earl Albritton finished fourth with 18%, or 123 votes.
In District 2, Hunter won 74%, or 330 votes, to challenger Russell Strozier’s approximately 26%, or 115 votes.
In District 3, Bennett ran third in a three-way race behind first –place finisher Nicky McCullin, who had 471 votes, or 34.4%; and second-place finisher Marvin Franks, Jr., who won 467 voters, or 34%. Bennett had 431 votes, or 31%. McCullin and Franks will meet in the November runoff.
In District 4, Roberson finished second — though only slightly so — behind T. J. Cranford. Cranford won 659 votes, or 46.2% to Roberson’s 656, or 46%. Cranford and Roberson will meet in the runoff. Challenger Jason Johnston won 110 votes, or 8%.
In District 5, Hammons came in third behind first-place finisher Logan Hunt and second-place finisher Brandon Milner. Hunt won 818 votes, or almost 48%. Milner had 607 voters, or 35 %, and Hammons, 290 votes, or 17%. Hunt and Milner will face in the runoff.
In District 7, newcomer Matt Pullin beat former Police Juror Tim Babcock, 883 votes to 542 votes. That gave Pullin 62% of the vote to Babcock’s 38%. District 7 incumbent Jody Backus did not seek re-election.
In District 8, Russell beat opponent Rick Hohlt, 873 to 264. That gave Russell 77% of the vote to Hohlt’s 23%.
In District 10 Wilson lost to lone challenger Milton Melton, by a vote of 404 for Melton to 273, or 60% to 40 %.
In District 12, Straughter beat challenger Roosevelt Strong, 351 to 138, or 72% to 28%.
District 9 Juror Joe Henderson and District 11 Juror Sharyon Mayfield were unopposed. In District 6, newcomer Glenn Scriber was unopposed in his bid to succeed incumbent Walter Pullen. Pullen ran unsuccessfully for assessor.
In the only other race on the Saturday’s ballot, that of constable-justice of the peace for Ward II, Bobby J. Washington beat Larry Jones, 482 to 250, or 66% to 34%.
