Qualifying for Marksville, Bunkie municipal elections underway

Qualifying for candidates in the March 26 Marksville and Bunkie municipal elections will continue today and Friday.

In the first day of qualifying on Wednesday, Marksville mayor John Lemon and incumbent aldermen Frank Havard (District 1), Mike Gremillion (District 2) and Clyde "Danny" Benson (District 5) had no challengers.

There were no candidates in District 4 on Wednesday. Joseph Smith is the incumbent in District 4.

There will be a race in District 3, where Torrick Friels and Richard Klingersmith Jr. qualified Wednesday. The incumbent is Mary Sampson.

As of Wednesday there were already three contested races on Bunkie's March 26 ballot.

Bunkie mayor Bruce Coulon was the only candidate qualifying Wednesday. Sullivan "Butch" Batiste Jr. was the only candidate in District 1, where Brenda Sampson is the incumbent.

There were no candidates qualifying in District 2 and District 3. Lem Thomas is the incumbent in District 2 and Kendricks Johnson is the District 3 incumbent.

Police Chief Scott Ferguson drew a challenge from Julius T. Mays Jr.

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

Two candidates qualified to take Longoria's place in District 4 -- Josh Mayeux and Jerrod Paul Normand.