From staff reports
L’Observateur

HAHVVILLE — Democratic challenger Tim Marcel unseated Republican Michele R. Morel in St. Charles Parish in the District E judgeship election.

In a special 2012 election, Morel of Luling defeated Marcel from Destrehan by just 168 votes.

The tide turned Tuesday night as Marcel tallied 11,611 votes (60.95 percent) compared to Morel’s 7,440 votes (39.05 percent), according to numbers released by the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.

In District 1, incumbent School Board member Ellis Alexander Sr. of Hahnville easily defeated challenger Milton Allemand Jr., a Republican from Luling. Alexander, who lists no party affiliation, finished with 1,766 votes (79.98 percent) compared to Allemand’s 442, which was 20.02 percent of the turnout.

Allemand previously ran against Alexander in the 2010 race, where he lost by 640 votes.

In the race for District 1 Public Service Commissioner, challenger Forest Bradley Wright secured the most votes with 2,020 (47.23 percent), but will face a runoff with incumbent Eric Skrmetta of Metairie, who garnered 1,247 (29.16 percent).

Allen Leone of Metairie finished with 1,010 votes. All three men are Republicans.

Secretary of State Tom Schedler said the deadline to register to vote in the Dec. 6 General Congressional Election is today (Nov. 5) for citizens who have never registered to vote, as well as voters who would like to make changes to their registration.

Citizens can register to vote online at GeauxVote.com; at their parish’s Registrar of Voters Office; while obtaining services at the Office of Motor Vehicles, public assistance agencies, public schools, colleges and libraries; or by mail.

Early voting is scheduled for Nov. 22-29 for the Dec. 6 runoffs (excluding Nov. 23, 27 and 28). For more information about the Secretary of State’s Elections Division, visit GeauxVote.com or call 225-922-0900.

In the St. Charles Parish District 1 Justice of the Peace race, Democrat Henry Wolfe (34.72 percent) and Rick Whitney Jr. (26.13 percent) are ticketed for a runoff.

In District 2, voters will choose between runoff candidates Earl Tastet (48.96 percent) and Randy Muller Jr. (38.40 percent).

In District 4, voters elected Darrell Chiasson, who lists no party.

In District 5, Tika L. Riley (45.87 percent) will face a runoff against April Black (40.38 percent).

In District 7, Justice of the Peace incumbent John Brady defeated Robin Triche-Fields by securing more than 70 percent of the vote.

In District 2, Constable Justice of the Peace challenger Kenny Schmill (56.55 percent) defeated incumbent Craig Petit.

Voters in District 6 chose Democrat Jerry Pfister (51.77 percent) in a tight race over Aaron Marino.

Incumbent Gary Cazenave (54.11 percent) defeated Butch Ockman in the District 7 Constable Justice of the Peace race.

District 1 Constable Justice of the Peace Rose Legaux, District 3 Constable Justice of the Peace Gil Schmidt, District 4 Constable Justice of the Peace Donnie White and District 5 Constable Justice of the Peace Stephen Black were reelected after facing no opposition.

School board members Melinda Bernard of District 2, Dennis Naquin of District 3, C.H. Savoie of District 4, John Smith of District 5, Jay Robichaux of District 6, Arthur Aucoin of District 7 and Al Suffrin of District 8 all garnered no opposition in their quests for another term.

Following qualifying this year, St. Charles Parish District Attorney Joel Chaisson II and two state judges were automatically re-elected for another term after facing no opposition as qualifying ended Aug. 22.

For the second time, Chaisson faced no opposition in his quest for the District Attorney’s position.

“It certainly is an honor and privilege to be re-elected for another term as District Attorney,” Chaisson said previously. “I look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of St. Charles Parish and continuing to make St. Charles Parish a safe place to live and raise a family.”

Two out of three 29th Judicial District Court judges faced no opposition: District C Judge Emile St. Pierre, a Republican, and District D Judge M. Lauren Lemmon, a Democrat.