All offices on March 26 ballot have at least one candidate

After two days of qualifying, all 13 municipal offices on the March 26 ballot have at least one candidate.

Bunkie Mayor Bruce Coulon is being challenged by a familiar face in the March 26 election, as District 1 Alderwoman Brenda Sampson qualified for the office Thursday.

Former Police Juror and frequent city government critic Francis Keller qualified to run for Bunkie's District 1 council seat being vacated by Sampson. He will face at least Sullivan “Butch” Battiste Jr., who qualified for the race Wednesday.

Courtney “Coco” Sampson, the alderwoman’s daughter, qualified Thursday for the District 2 council race. As of Thursday, she was the only candidate seeking the office.

After going the first day with no takers, Bunkie’s District 3 attracted one candidate Thursday, with Clay Whittington signing up to seek the office.

Thursday was a lot slower for the Marksville municipal offices. District 4 incumbent Joseph Smith II qualified for the March 26 race. Smith was appointed to the office when Ed Conway died in office June 2020 and was elected without opposition to finish Conway’s term in a special election after qualifying in July 2020

Other candidates who qualified on Wednesday to run for office in March are Marksville mayor John Lemoine, Aldermen Frank Havard (District 1), Mike Gremillion (District 2) and Clyde "Danny" Benson (District 5), all still with no challengers after Thursday.

There are two candidates in District 3, Torrick Friels and Richard Klingersmith Jr.

Two candidates qualified for police chief on Wednesday, incumbent Scott Ferguson and Julius T. Mays Jr.

District 4 Alderman Bill Longoria qualified for the alderman-at-large position, as did Vanessa Juneau.

There were two candidates for Bunkie alderman-at-large, current District 4 Councilman Bill Longoria and Vanessa Juneau.

Two candidates are seeking Longoria's District 4 position, Josh Mayeux and Jerrod Paul Normand.