Qualifying result: 7 police jury races on fall ballot

The Lincoln Parish Police Jury will have at least two new faces when the next term begins in January and possibly six more.

That’s as a result of candidate qualifying for the Oct. 14 primary. The three-day sign-up period ended Thursday with only one surprise race on the ballot: a match-up for Lincoln Parish coroner.

Dr. Holly Kidd is challenging incumbent Dr. Mike Belue, an Independent, for the job he’s held for 15 years. The contest is the first coroner’s race in 28 years. Kidd, a Democrat, is an internist at Ruston’s Green Clinic.

What won’t be on the ballot are races for sheriff, clerk of court, and assessor. Sheriff Stephen Williams, Clerk of Court Linda Cook, and Assessor Billy Mac McBride are going back in office unopposed.

Williams and Cook claim no party affiliation; McBride is a Republican.

It’s the jury races that have drawn the most public attention, mostly because of the protracted and often testy debate over providing rescue and emergency medical service for rural areas, and the ousting of former parish Administrator Doug Postel.

District 12’s Annette Straughter, a Democrat, was the only one of the so-called “Gang of Eight” that voted to fire Postel in January of this year who returns to office unopposed.

Three other incumbents — District 4’s T.J. Cranford, District 5’s Logan Hunt, and District 7’s Matt Pullin, all first-termers — were also unopposed. All three are Republicans.

Chris “Moose” Garriga will be the new District 8 juror. He was unopposed in his bid to succeed 16-year jury veteran Skip Russell, who’s retiring.

Here’s a look at the seven contested seats: District 1: Incumbent Theresa Wyatt, a Democrat, drew two challengers: Independent Will Edwards and Democrat Greg “Big Coach” Williams.

Wyatt, a 16-year-incumbent, announced her reelection bid in July, then withdrew about two weeks later, but got back in on the opening day of qualifying. She said her supporters convinced her to seek a fifth term.

District 2: Longtime incumbent Hazel Hunter did not seek reelection, opening the way for a new District 2 juror. Democrat Karen Ludley and Republican Tommie Woods want the job.

Hunter has endorsed Ludley. Woods is a retired Ruston Fire Department assistant chief and currently a consultant for the Grambling Fire Department.

District 3: The District 3 race pits incumbent Richard Durrett against challenger Dan Lord. Durrett, who claims no party, is retired parish administrator and in his first term as an elected juror. He’s also jury president.

Lord, a Republican, is making his first bid for elective office. He’s a former Ruston city firefighter and owner of Dan Lord Plumbing.

District 6: First- term juror Glenn Scriber drew one reelection opponent, John Cole. Both men are Republicans. Scriber is a painting contractor.

District 9: Newcomer Nakisha Evans, a Democrat, wants to unseat longtime incumbent Joe Henderson in the District 9 race.

Henderson, no party, has been on the jury since 1992. He owns Henderson Financial Services and is the pastor of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in Arcadia. Evans is the founder and CEO of K. Renee Ministries.

District 10: Incumbent Milton Melton has two opponents: Gary Wayne Baldwin and Morris “Mo Love” Winters. Melton is a first-term juror and the jury’s vice president; he is a Democrat. Baldwin is also a Democrat. Winters claims no party.

District 11: Incumbent Sharyon Mayfield, a Democrat who’s been on the jury since 2012, drew two opponents: fellow Democrats Patsy Candler and Diane Heard Richards. Candler is a former employee of what’s now Super 1 Foods and of the Humanitarian Enterprises of Lincoln Parish.