'Every vote counts' in Avoyelles Parish special elections

Saturday's special elections in Avoyelles Parish proved the old saying, "Every vote counts."

In Bunkie, Kendricks Johnson easily won a first-round victory over three opponents for the District 3 seat vacated when long-time alderman Travis Armand moved to Eola and resigned from the City Council. Johnson received 60.65 percent of the vote. While that would qualify as a "landslide" in a four-candidate field, Johnson avoided a runoff by only 16 votes.

Only 155 of District 3's 509 voters -- 30.45 percent -- cast ballots in the special election. Johnson needed 78 of those to win in the primary. He received 94. Anthony Clay Whittington had 38 votes (27.27 percent), Kenny Hazelton had 21 (13.53 percent) and George Pepis had two (1.29 percent).

While it shouldn't be an issue, the election does put three black council members from the four single-member districts. The fifth alderman is elected at large in a citywide election. District 3 is almost evenly divided between white and black voters, with 225 white, 226 black and 18 other races.

In Cottonport District 4, incumbent Demple Prater won re-election with 58.9 percent of the votes over challenger Peter Chenevert. The election was actually much closer than the percentages indicate.

District 4 has 264 registered voters. By race, the electorate is 64 percent, 34 percent white and 2 percent other races. Prater, who is black, was defeated by former police chief Gerald Mayeux -- who is white -- by four votes in the Nov. 3 election. However, in between qualifying earlier in the summer and the fall election, Mayeux had moved to Marksville and was no longer eligible to serve on the Town Council.

The council appointed Prater to continue serving in the District 4 position until the special election could be held.

In November, 144 votes were cast with Mayeux receiving 74 and Prater 70. In the March 20 election, Prater received 33 and Chenevert had 23, which reflects a district voter turnout of only 21.2 percent.

In the only other election on Avoyelles Parish ballots, Julia Letlow easily won election to the 5th Congressional District seat left vacant when her husband, Luke Letlow, died before being able to be sworn into office in January.

Luke Letlow defeated fellow-Republican Lance Harris on Dec. 5, a day before Letlow's 41st birthday. He died from COVID on Dec. 29.

Julia Letlow outpaced a crowded field to win election in the primary with 64.8 percent of the votes cast. Her closest competitor was Democrat Sandra "Candy" Christophe of Alexandria, who received 27.2 percent. Republican Chad Conerly was a distant third with 5.3 percent.

It was the same order in Avoyelles, with Letlow receiving 63.6 percent, Christophe 24.8 percent and Conerly with almost 9 percent.

Voter turnout was almost 19.4 percent in Avoyelles Parish, which was better than the overall 5th District turnout of only 17.9 percent.