By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. James and St. Charles parishes each had one parish-specific runoff on Saturday’s ballot, each involving a long-time incumbent.

In St. James Parish, the incumbent up for re-election was James “Jimmy” Brazan, the council representative for District 7. Brazan has been on the council for 16 years.

Brazan narrowly defeated challenger Donald Nash, who lost the election by only 28 votes. Brazan said he was not surprised by how close the election was.

“He had more votes than me the first time,” he said. “I worked hard and did it.”

Brazan said he owes some of his success Saturday to the fact that he campaigned for Timmy Roussel, who was elected parish president in October, so many involved in the Roussel campaign came to Brazan’s aid in November.

“I had a lot of good people working for me and working with me,” he said.

With the election behind him, Brazan said he is ready to focus on projects to benefit the South Vacherie area, which District 7 encompasses. One of the main projects that is holding Brazan’s attention these days is the proposed west bank expressway.

“We finally got the Legislature to pay to do a feasibility study. Now we know what it costs,” he said.

He said the next step is figuring out a way to secure funding for the project, which has been championed for years by numerous west bank officials in several parishes.

Brazan also said he has no hard feelings over the large portion of his constituents who supported Nash.

“I’m going to serve the people who supported me and the ones who didn’t support me,” he said.

In the St. Charles Parish Clerk of Court race, the incumbent did not fare as well.

Current Clerk of Court Charles Oubre lost the election to former Councilman Lance Marino. Marino garnered 53 percent of the vote.

Marino said he feels “happy and blessed” to have won Saturday, but he is also convinced the people of St. Charles Parish are simply ready for a change in the clerk of court’s office.

“I think throughout the primary and the runoff, the message resonated that the clerk’s office is in need of modernization,” he said.

Oubre was first elected clerk of court more than three decades ago.

Marino said he plans to hit the ground running when he assumes leadership of the office in January.

“My first plan will be to evaluate current processes up close and see what initial changes need to be made,” he said.

Whatever changes he finds are necessary through the evaluation will be in addition to some changes he already has in mind for the clerk of court’s office.

“I just think more convenient and affordable access to records should be available to the general public,” he said. “And also I’d like to make communication and interaction with the clerk of court staff more available through individual email accounts and a fully functioning website.”

He added, “I’d like to thank the voters for being open to change.”