St. John voters electing new judge Nov. 8
Published 12:10 am Wednesday, June 29, 2016
- Qualifying for a special election to replace Judge Mary Hotard Becnel is scheduled July 20-22.
Qualifying for Becnel’s 40th Judicial District Court Division B Judge replacement begins in 3 weeks
LAPLACE — A special election is being held to replace Judge Mary Hotard Becnel, who is stepping down as 40th Judicial District Court Division B Judge.
Residents wishing to qualify for the race must do so in three weeks if they hope to run for the position.
Meg Casper, press secretary for Secretary of State Tom Schelder, said qualifying is scheduled July 20-22.
To qualify for the race, Casper said, a resident must have been admitted to practice law in Louisiana for at least eight years, live in the district for one year prior to the election and pay the required fees. Fees include a qualifying fee of $300, a state central committee fee for Democratic and Republican candidates of $150 and a possible $150 parish executive committee fee.
“The special election will be Nov. 8 with a runoff Dec. 10,” Casper said. “Early voting for the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 25 though Nov. 1. For December, early voting would begin Nov. 26 and would end Dec. 3.”
Becnel’s term was scheduled to end in 2021, but after her husband, Daniel Becnel Jr., became ill in December, the judge decided to retire in part to spend more time with him. Her last day as judge will be Dec. 31.
Becnel released a statement this week saying a Judge is ethically prohibited from endorsing a candidate in any race, adding she does not want to comment on potential candidates.
“The voters will decide,” she said.
Becnel, who has been a judge in the 40th Judicial District Court for 23 years, said she is looking forward to not having a business schedule but added she will miss the job and the people that she loves working with.
“I love serving the Parish; I’ve been elected five times,” she said previously. “I’m one of those lucky people because I’ve been given the opportunity to work at a job that I love doing and get paid for it. It’s been a wonderful experience.”
Becnel last won reelection in November 2014, defeating a challenge from Rob Snyder, a Democrat from LaPlace.
Becnel earned 81.16 percent of the vote, with 3,098 votes cast her way. Snyder earned 719 votes.
At the time, Becnel said she had worked in the legal system for more than 40 years, starting out as a secretary and court reporter before working her way through school to become a lawyer — and ultimately — a judge.
