by Greg LaRose, Louisiana Illuminator
May 3, 2025

A lone legislative race and a smattering of local tax referendums around the state were put before Louisiana voters Saturday, when a sparse ballot had to compete with the usual spring schedule of festivals and events throughout the Bayou State

In East Baton Rouge Parish, a special election was held to fill the vacancy in Louisiana House District 67. The position became open when Larry Selders won a February election for the state Senate seat vacated when Cleo Fields won the 6th Congressional District race last year.

Terry Landry Jr. prevailed in a field of three Democrats to represent the district that encompasses the LSU campus and neighborhoods to its south. Landry is an attorney who works with the Southern Poverty Law Center and was previously with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services and the state health department.

Another notable item on Saturday’s ballot was the Lake Charles mayoral race, with Republican incumbent Nic Hunter losing to independent challenger Marshall Simien Jr.

Other highlights from Saturday’s results included a rejected property tax referendum for the East Baton Rouge Parish district attorney’s office. DA Hillar Moore had said the new millage was needed to bring his agency up to par in staffing and compensation with comparably large prosecutorial districts in Orleans and Jefferson parishes.

The 4-mill levy was projected to raise $24 million annually, with Moore projecting there would be enough revenue generated for his office to return millions to the parish government general fund. With the new tax failing, resources for the district attorney will continue to come from parish government.

In New Orleans, voters narrowly approved a property tax for the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, which has the primary task of operating the city jail. The final vote tally saw the measure prevail by a margin of two votes out of more than 25,000 ballots cast. The results still have to be verified by the Secretary of State.

Although the sheriff’s tax has already been in place for years, opponents leaned into a “no new taxes” message in their campaign against the 2.46-mill, 10-year collection. The tax is expected to generate nearly $14 million in revenue for the sheriff’s office.

St. Tammany Parish voters approved a bond sale for its public school system with a ceiling of $325 million. The debt is not expected to result in an increase to existing property millages dedicated to the school district.

A property tax in Livingston Parish public schools was renewed for another 10 years. The 7 mills will generate nearly $5 million a year for the district.

Rapides Parish voters also renewed two property taxes for their public school system, totaling 9.58 mills combined, for the next 10 years. They’re forecast to generate more than $10 million annually.

Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: info@lailluminator.com.

The post Louisiana election results: May 3, 2025 appeared first on lailluminator.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The article provides a neutral and factual account of various local elections and tax referendums across Louisiana, reporting on results without promoting any ideological stance. It focuses on the outcomes of the elections and the specifics of the ballot measures, including property taxes and bond sales. The language is straightforward, offering details on the candidates, voter turnout, and the issues at hand. While it mentions both political figures and issues, it does so without demonstrating clear bias toward any political party or ideology, maintaining a balanced, factual reporting approach.