Early voting begins Tuesday
Early voting for the Nov. 8 primary begins Tuesday, and the Lincoln Parish registrar of voters’ office is preparing for a substantial turnout. The office will have seven machines set up this year to accommodate early voters. Early voting takes place in the registrar’s office located on the ground floor of the Lincoln Parish Courthouse.
Voting hours are 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily through Nov. 1, excluding Sunday. Voters should bring photo identification.
Ten local races are on the ballot, as well as contests for one of Louisiana’s U.S. Senate seats and the Lincoln Parishinclusive 5th District Congressional seat.
Local voters will also help decide the fate of eight proposed state constitutional amendments.
On the home front, five of the 12 parish school board seats are up for grabs, as is one seat on the Dubach Town Council. Choudrant and Grambling will have both mayor and council races.
The most crowded contests are in Grambling, where three candidates are trying to unseat third-term Mayor Ed Jones and 11 people are vying for the city’s five council seats.
Grambling council members are elected at large.
Challenging Jones are Mayor Pro Tem Toby Bryan, Alvin Bradley, and Leshaun “Yummy” Johnson. Bryan and Bradley are Democrats; Johnson claims no party affiliation.
Jones, a Democrat, was first elected in 2010, following the turbulent second term of former Mayor Martha Andrus. He was handily reelected in 2014 and unopposed in 2018.
In Choudrant, longtime Mayor Bill Sanderson has one opponent, former law enforcement officer Brandon Milner. Both men are Republicans.
In the Lincoln Parish School Board races, four of the five contests pit incumbents against challengers. Only in District 1 is there no incumbent; Susan Wiley did not seek reelection.
Willie Washington, Jr., and Danielle Williams want that seat. Washington claims no party affiliation; Williams is a Democrat.
District 3 incumbent Republican Clark Canterbury drew two opponents, Paul E. Bean and Gloria Miller. Both claim no party affiliation.
District 7 incumbent Hunter Smith, a Republican, is facing first- time candidate Ginny Shadoin Canterbury, also a Republican. In District 10, longtime board member Otha Anders is being challenged by Juan Hooper. Both are Democrats.
District 12’s Debbie Abrahm, an Independent, has one opponent, Doug Perry, who claims no party affiliation.
In the congressional contests, first-term House member Rep. Julia Letlow, RRayville, has four opponents, while in the Senate race, first- term Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, has 12 opponents.
House members serve twoyear terms; senators, six-year terms.
Here’s a list of candidates on the ballot:
Lincoln Parish School Board: District 1-Willie Washington, Jr., No Party; Danielle Williams, Democrat. District 3: Paul E. Bean, no party; Clark Canterbury, Republican, incumbent; Gloria Miller, no party.
District 7: Ginny Shadoin Canterbury, Republican; Hunter Smith, Republican, incumbent. District 10: Otha Anders, Democrat, incumbent; Juan Hooper, Democrat. District 12: Debbie Abrahm, Independent, incumbent; Doug Perry, no party.
Grambling mayor: Alvin Bradley, Democrat; Toby Bryan, Democrat; Leshaun “Yummy” Johnson, no party; Edward Jones, Democrat, incumbent.
Choudrant mayor: Brandon Milner, Republican; Bill Sanderson, Republican, incumbent.
Choudrant aldermen:
(three to be elected) John Croswell, Republican, incumbent; Blake Duncan, no party; Rick Maier, no party, incumbent; Thomas Patton, Republican, incumbent.
Dubach council: District A-Ruby Dawson, Democrat; Angela Dunn, no party, incumbent.
Grambling council: (five to be elected) Kerry Blakemore, Democrat; John F. Brown, Jr., Democrat; Cathy Holmes, Democrat, incumbent; Jerry Lewis, Democrat; Aundrea Livingston, Democrat; Karen Ludley, Democrat; Marvin McCarty, Democrat; Phyllis Miller, Democrat, incumbent; Devaria Hudson Ponton, Democrat; Delores Wilkerson Smith, Democrat; Garnet Wagner II, no party.
Fifth District U. S. representative: Oscar “Omar” Dantzler, Democrat, Hammond; Allen Guillory, Republican, Lawtell; Walter Earl Huff, Democrat, Monroe; Julia Letlow, incumbent, Republican, Rayville; Hunter Pullen, Republican, West Monroe.
U. S. Senate: Beryl A. Billiot, no party, Kentwood; Gary Chambers, Jr., Democrat, Baton Rouge; Devin Lance Graham, Republican, Gonzales; Xan John, other party, Lafayette; John Kennedy, incumbent, Republican, Madisonville; W. Thomas La Fontaine Olson, no party, New Orleans; Bradley McMorris, Independent, Livingston; MV “Vinny” Mendoza, Democrat, Ponchatoula; Luke Mixon, Democrat, Bunkie; Salvador P. Rodriguez, Democrat, Tangipahoa; Aaron C. Sigler, Libertarian, Hammond; Syrita Steib, Democrat, Metairie; and Thomas Wenn, other party, Amite.
