Shreveport mayor’s race goes to a Dec. 12 runoff; Caddo voters turn down the sports complex bond

Tuesday’s election settled most local races in Shreveport-Bossier and Minden, but Shreveport still has a mayor’s race to finish. All numbers below are complete but unofficial.

Shreveport mayor: runoff Dec. 12

No one in the seven-candidate field got more than half the vote, so Mayor Tom Arceneaux, a Republican, and Caddo Commissioner Stormy Gage-Watts, a Democrat, will meet in a runoff Saturday, Dec. 12, the Shreveport-Bossier Advocate and The Center Square reported.

KSLA’s results with all precincts in:

• Tom Arceneaux (R): 19,401, 35.6%
• Stormy Gage-Watts (D): 12,331, 22.6%
• John-Paul Young (R): 9,945, 18.2%
• Tammy Phelps (D): 8,723, 16%
• Michael Williams (D): 2,666, 4.9%
• Chaunta Mero (D): 1,101, 2%
• Sia Ravari (no party): 386, 0.7%

“It looks like we have a runoff, so I ask you again for your vote at the polls on Dec. 12. Let’s finish what we started,” Arceneaux told supporters Tuesday night, the Advocate reported.

Shreveport City Council

Five council races were decided Tuesday, KSLA reported:

• District A: Tabatha Taylor (D), 85%, over Hanh Williams (R)
• District B: Gary Brooks (D), 52.1%, in a five-candidate race
• District C: Jim Taliaferro (R), 66.2%, over Mark Black (no party)
• District E: Alan Jackson (D), 56.8%, over Alvin Oliver and Francine Brown
• District G: Ursula Bowman (D), 59%, over Derrick Henderson and Steven Hall

District F goes to a Dec. 12 runoff between Lester Smith (44.9%) and Billy Anderson Jr. (42.2%). In the three-way Shreveport City Judge race, no one reached a majority in KSLA’s results: Kharmen Davis-Taylor had 37.1%, Sheva Sims 35% and Trinicia Leonard 27.9%. No outlet we opened called a runoff for that race, so we report the numbers only.

The 9.04-mill tax continuation for the Downtown Development District passed narrowly, 51.6% to 48.4% districtwide, in KSLA’s complete unofficial results. The Bossier Press-Tribune’s 56% yes figure is the Bossier Parish portion of that vote, not the districtwide total. The tax applies only to property inside the district’s boundaries, the Press-Tribune noted.

Caddo Parish

Caddo voters turned down the $60 million bond for a parish sports complex, 58% to 42%. Commission President Gregory Young said, “Right now we’re in a big pause mode because we take seriously what the public has informed us about this project and perhaps similar projects,” KTBS reported. “Although the outcome was not what we had hoped, we do not consider the effort a failure,” Parish Administrator Erica Bryant said in a statement.

District Attorney James Stewart Sr. (D) won reelection with 53.8%, over state Sen. Alan Seabaugh (R) with 41.2%, Patricia Gilley and Lauren Anderson, according to KSLA’s results and KTBS. In the race for District Judge, Election Section 3, Division F, Hugo Holland Jr. (R) had 51.4% to Treneisha Hill’s 48.6%.

Bossier City and Bossier Parish

City Marshal Jim Whitman (R), in office since 2015, beat Council President Brian Hammons (R), 62% to 38%, the Bossier Press-Tribune reported. Hammons is council president and represents District 1. In Haughton, Beth McAnn won the alderman race over Tarrah Dobbins, 59% to 41%.

Minden and Webster Parish

Police Chief Jared McIver won reelection with 2,328 votes, or 62%, over Ryan Barnette, Tim Morris and Darrell Morris, the Minden Press-Herald reported. On the City Council, Michael Roy kept District D. District B goes to a runoff between Anthony “A.D.” Douglas and Terika “Reek” Walker, and District C between Janice “Louise” Keener and incumbent Latasha Anderson Mitchell.

In Springhill, Derek Melancon won the mayor’s race over Adam Harris by 38 votes, and Will Lynd won the police chief’s race. Webster Parish voters turned down the North Webster Industrial District’s 5.14-mill renewal, 51% to 49%, the Press-Herald reported.

Statewide amendments

Seven of Louisiana’s 10 constitutional amendments passed and three failed (Amendments 2, 5 and 10), based on unofficial statewide results reported by the Bossier Press-Tribune. Amendment 6, an added property tax exemption for property owners 65 or older, and Amendment 7, letting public money go toward replacing lead water lines, both passed.

Results stay unofficial until the state certifies them. For the Dec. 12 runoff, check your sample ballot on the Louisiana Voter Portal.