When filing for the 2024 election ended Friday, two candidates had thrown their hats into the ring for Mayor of Franklinton. Incumbent Mayor Greg Route, Democrat, and Alderman Darwin Sharp, Republican, have both filed to run for Mayor of Franklinton in the November election.
There will be five Franklinton alderman seats available in the 2024 election, and eight candidates have filed for alderman.
Seeking re-election are Alderwoman Patrice Crain and Alderman Seth Descant.
Aldermen T.J. Butler Jr. and Alderman Heath Spears are not running for re-election, and Alderman Darwin Sharp is running for mayor. So there will be at least three newcomers when the next Board of Aldermen is sworn in.
Also filing to run for Franklinton alderman are Lee Dillon, Steve McCune, Randy Reed. Jeamie Mccullen, Richard Magee, and Frankie Crosby.
In another Franklinton-area office up for election, Chad Dorsett was elected to the District 2 seat on the Washington Parish School Board when he was the only candidate who filed.
The District 2 seat became vacant when John Wyble resigned after he was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives last November. Marsha Newman was temporarily appointed to the seat upon Wyble’s resignation but she did not seek election to a full term.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Washington Parish, two candidates have filed to run for Mayor of Angie. They are Darryl Knight and Denise Robinson.
Angie Police Chief Gilbert Hartzog has filed for re-election and with no one filing to run against he, he was automatically elected on Friday.
John Dawsey, Laurie Pittman and Terrance Robinson have filed to run for the three Angie alderman positions and all three were automatically elected.
In Varnado, Mayor Paris Sumrall filed for re-election and was elected without opposition.
Filing for the three Varnado alderman positions were Jimmy Ezell, Chris Jones, Kimberly Suzi Kennedy, Dustin Sumrall, and Brian “Walk-Walk” Walker.
Incumbent Varnado Police Chief Louis Adam has been re-elected without opposition.
In Bogalusa, four candidates have filed for the vacant District B council seat. Filing were Melvin “Chester” Abram, Ellen Carter, Wilton Dunaway, and Marilyn Lott.
Incumbent U.S. Congresswoman Julia Letlow of the 5th Congressional District filed for re-election. Running against her will be Vinny Mendoza of Tangipahoa Parish and Michael Vallien Jr. of East Baton Rouge Parish. (East Baton Rouge Parish is not in the 5th Congressional District but the law does not require Congressional candidates to live within the Congressional District they are seeking to represent.)
This fall’s election is scheduled for November 5 and it will also include the 2024 presidential and congressional elections, so a decent turnout is expected.
