Two candidates will head to a runoff for an open Jefferson Parish Council seat on the West Bank, while four city council races in Gretna and Westwego were decided from the results of the March 29 election.
Jean Lafitte Mayor Timothy Kerner Jr. and Andrea Manuel, a Spanish educator and life coach, will go head to head in the runoff election in May, knocking out establishment favorite and former Parish Council member Ricky Templet.
Manuel won 36.1% of the votes, Kerner won 35.6%, and Templet won 28.4%. Turnout was about 31%.
Kerner and Templet are both Republicans; Manuel is a Democrat.
On the state level, Louisiana voters struck down all four constitutional amendments pushed by Gov. Jeff Landry.
West Bank voters also declined to renew a 4.75-millage for the West Jefferson Levee District that would have brought in an estimated $6.6 million annually for levee construction and maintenance.
The Jefferson Parish District 1 Council seat opened up unexpectedly a few months ago, when Marion Edwards announced his resignation from the role less than a year into his second term. The district spans Gretna, Terrytown, Jean Lafitte, Crown Point, Estelle, Barataria, Grand Isle and parts of Harvey and Marrero.
The district also became majority-minority in 2021, with Black residents making up 36% of the district, Hispanic residents 17% and White 39%.
Kerner, 34, became mayor of Jean Lafitte in 2020 after his father, Tim Kerner Sr., left the position to serve as a state representative. Kerner Jr. is the third in his family to lead the town.
Kerner framed his campaign around attracting more families to the West Bank with promises like bringing a children's museum and improving parks and recreation, and collected endorsements from at-large Council member Jennifer Van Vrancken and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser.
Andrea Manuel of Gretna serves on the Democratic State Central Committee and previously ran for the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2023, where she came in second to Rep. Vincent Cox III, a Republican. She also worked for Van Vrancken for one day in January before resigning to run for office.
Saturday’s election put an end to a monthslong feud between Kerner and Templet over social media, campaign advertisements and debates in an attempt to sway district voters.
Kerner accused Templet of being part of a political "machine" in Gretna, and said he unfairly concentrated discretionary funds on the city during his time on the council. Last Monday, he filed a lawsuit against Templet to stop a political attack ad from airing, and reported him to the state attorney general and parish inspector general on accusations of federal fraud and tax evasion.
The lawsuit was never heard by a judge before the election because Templet was not served.
Templet, on the other hand, said Kerner was part of a political "dynasty" in Lafitte and criticized his management of the town's recovery after Hurricane Ida. His attack ad at the center of Kerner's lawsuit reemerged in a 2023 WVUE-TV story that alleged Kerner was a "silent partner" to a contractor hired by Lafitte to repair city-owned buildings, which Kerner has repeatedly denied.
Manuel has largely avoided the bickering thus far.
The district Council members earn an annual salary of about $87,000 per year. The District 1 winner will be decided in the General Election on May 3.
West Bank levee district renewal
West Bank voters also rejected the renewal of a 4.75 millage for the West Jefferson Levee District with about 63% of the vote. The millage would have brought in over $6.5 million per year between 2028 and 2037 to construct and maintain levees, as well as fund capital improvements and equipment upgrades.
The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority — West, which operates the levee district, said the millage has directly funded $23 million in levee lifts and improvements to the West Bank's federal flood control system.
The West Bank flood protection system contains 80 miles of levees, floodwalls and floodgates, as well as sector gates and pumping stations, to protect more than 250,000 residents and $41 billion in homes, schools and businesses.
Gretna, Westwego council winners
- Gretna City Council District 4: Randy Carr
- Westwego City Council District 1: John I. "Johnny" Shaddinger, Jr.
- Westwego City Council District 2: Johnny Nobles, Jr.
- Westwego City Council District 5: Robert "Bobby B" Bonvillian
Orleans Parish
The only vote specific to New Orleans was a $150 fee per parcel for the Lakeview Crime Prevention District, starting in 2027 and running for 10 years.
It is estimated to bring in just over $ 1 million annually for crime prevention in the area.
It was approved with 56% of the vote.
Northshore
St. Tammany Parish voters split on two high-profile tax propositions, shooting down elected officials' request to use some money from a roads and drainage sales tax for criminal justice costs, but agreeing to a property tax that funds the parish libraries.
And Covington voters picked a a new City Council member, Blake Bushnell.
Editor's note: Timothy Kerner Sr. is a state representative. An earlier version of this story contained an incorrect title.
