Ballotpedia covered three special elections on July 11 in Louisiana. Offices on the ballot included a state House seat located in the Jefferson and Lafourche parishes and two judicial positions in Baton Rouge.
In state House District 54, six candidates ran to replace Reggie Bagala (R). James Cantrelle (R), Dave Carskadon (R), Kevin Duet (R), Phil Gilligan (R), Donny Lerille (R), and Joseph Orgeron (R) faced off in the election. Orgeron won the election outright with 55% of the vote. Bagala died on April 9 from coronavirus-related health complications. He was first elected to the position in 2019 with 58.2% of the vote.
Baton Rouge held special elections for the Division C seat on the City Court and for the Division M-Section 2 seat on the state’s 19th Judicial District Court. The special primary election was originally scheduled to take place on April 4, with a general to be held May 9, if necessary. The dates were moved amid concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. A runoff election is scheduled for August 15, 2020.
Greg Cook (D), Donald Dobbins (D), Whitney Greene (R), Jonathan Holloway, Sr. (D), and Johnell Matthews (D) faced off in the special primary election for the vacant City Court seat. Since no candidate received a majority of the vote, Matthews and Greene advanced to a runoff election. Greene received 32% of the vote, and Matthews received 29% of the vote. The special election became necessary when Judge Tarvald Smith vacated the seat after being elected to the 19th Judicial District Court in 2019. The term for the position expires in 2024.
Yvette Alexander (D), Tiffany Foxworth (D), Eboni Johnson-Rose (D), and Jennifer Moisant (D) ran in the special primary election for the Division M-Section 2 seat on the 19th Judicial District Court. Foxworth and Alexander advanced to the runoff election. Foxworth received 37% of the vote, and Alexander received 35% of the vote. The special election became necessary when Judge Beau Higginbotham vacated the seat after being elected to the Division C-Section 3 seat on the 19th Judicial District Court in 2019. The winner will fill a term that expires at the end of 2020. To retain the position, the special election winner will have to run again in the Fall for a full six-year term.
Additional reading:
City elections in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2020)
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