Qualifying ends; 10 local races on Nov. 8 ballot
Lincoln Parish residents will see 10 local races on the Nov. 8 primary ballot as a result of the candidate qualifying period that ended Friday.
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.
What’s not on the ballot are races in Ruston. Mayor Ronny Walker and all five aldermen went in unopposed for the second consecutive election cycle. However, Ruston’s Board of Aldermen will have one new face. Republican John Denny will replace retiring Ward 4 Alderman Jim Pearce.
Walker, a Republican, will begin his third term in January. He first ran for office in 2014, winning 60% of the vote against a lone challenger.
Dubach Mayor Mona Wilson, Downsville Mayor Reggie Skain and Simsboro Mayor Sybil Smalling Foster were also unopposed for reelection, as were each of the three-member Boards of Aldermen in Downsville and Simsboro.
The most crowded contests are in Grambling were three candidates are trying to unseat third-term Mayor Ed Jones and 12 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 on the City Council and was Grambling’s mayor pro tem.
At the end of the 2010 primary, Jones lead a seven-person field, that included Andrus. He won 68% of the vote to become mayor.
Four years later, he again faced Andrus as his lone opponent and won with 62% of the vote. Jones was unopposed in 2018.
Of the dozen contenders for Grambling’s City Council, only two — Phyllis Miller and Cathy Holmes — are incumbents. G. Denise Dupree and Yanise Days did not seek reelection.
In Choudrant, longtime Mayor Bill Sanderson drew one opponent, 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 will 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.
Here’s a list of the all of the qualifiers. Those with no opposition are automatically elected.
Lincoln Parish School Board: District 1-Willie Washington, Jr., No Party; Danielle Williams, Democrat. Incumbent Susan Wiley is not seek reelection. District 2: David Ferguson, Democrat, incumbent. District 3: Paul E. Bean, no party; Clark Canterbury, Republican, incumbent; Gloria Miller, no party.
District 4: Donna Doss, no party, incumbent. District 5: Danny Hancock, no party, incumbent. District 6: Joe Mitcham, Jr., Republican, incumbent.
District 7: Ginny Shadoin Canterbury, Republican; Hunter Smith, Republican, incumbent. District 8: Gregg Phillips, Republican. Incumbent Lisa Best did not seek reelection.
District 9: Lynda Henderson, No party, incumbent. District 10: Otha Anders, Democrat, incumbent; Juan Hooper, Democrat. District 11: George Mack, Jr., Democrat, incumbent; 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.
Ruston mayor: Ronny Walker, Republican, incumbent.
Dubach mayor: Mona Durrett Wilson, no party, incumbent.
Choudrant mayor: Brandon Milner, Republican; Bill Sanderson, Republican, incumbent.
Downsville mayor: Reggie Skain, Democrat, incumbent.
Simsboro mayor: Sybil Smalling Foster, Democrat, incumbent.
Dubach police chief: Don Dufour, no party, incumbent.
Choudrant police chief: Willard Sullivan, Republican.
Downsville police chief: Earl Roberts, Democrat, incumbent.
Simsboro police chief: Gene Butler, Democrat. Incumbent Sandy Freeman did not seek reelection.
Ruston aldermen: Ward 1-Carolyn Cage, Democrat, incumbent; Ward 2-Angela Mayfield, Democrat, incumbent; Ward 3-Melanie Lewis, Republican, incumbent; Ward 4-John Denny, Republican; Ward 5-Bruce Siegmund, Independent, incumbent. Ward 4 incumbent Jim Pearce did not seek reelection.
Choudrant aldermen: (three to be elected) John Croswell, Republican, incumbent; Blake Duncan, no party; Rick Maier, no party, incumbent; Thomas Patton, Republican, incumbent.
Downsville aldermen: Howard Allen, Republican, incumbent; Sheree Allen, Republican, incumbent; Myron Toft, Independent, incumbent.
Simsboro aldermen: Doug Durrett, Democrat, incumbent; Hazel Tuminello, Republican, incumbent; Jerry White, Republican, incumbent.
Dubach council: District A-Ruby Dawson, Democrat; Angela Dunn, no party, incumbent; District B-Chris Moerbe, Republican, incumbent; District C-Mary Bilberry, incumbent; District D-Evelyn Graham, Democrat, incumbent; District E-Monique Roberts, Democrat, 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; Kia Baldwin Richardson, Democrat; Delores Wilkerson Smith, Democrat; Garnet Wagner II, no party. Incumbents G. Denise Dupree and Yanise Days is not seek reelection.
Vienna council: (special election to fill an unexpired term) Shannon R. Smith, Republican.
