ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / October 27, 1999

CONVENT – Obviously, the voters of St. James Parish are happy with thestatus quo because the key word for success in Saturday’s election was incumbent.

All the incumbents in St. James were either re-elected or are in the run-off election set for Nov. 20. There are only two runoffs in St. James, andboth for council seats.

PARISH PRESIDENT Dale Hymel didn’t have any trouble getting re-elected to a third term despite the fact that his closest competitor, Ridgely Mitchell Jr., was atthe center of a controversy involving a boycott at St. James High School.Mitchell got a lot of the vote on the west bank, but not enough to overtake Hymel, who finished with 6,342 votes, or 64 percent.

Mitchell had 3,279 votes, or 33 percent, and Gary Ricks received 353 votes, or 4 percent SHERIFF Willy Martin has become another key figure in the St. James Highcontroversy since the arrest of a number of protestors, but it didn’t seem to affect the voters at all. The Sheriff handily outpaced all hiscompetition, receiving 6,773 votes, or 68 percent.

S.L. King Jr. received 2,594 votes, or 26 percent, and Clayton “Bubby”Deslatte got 603 votes for 6 percent.

ASSESSOR Assessor Glen Waguespack easily won a second term with almost 70 percent of the vote. He received 6,637 votes, or 68 percent, to challengerEileen “Candy” Jasmin’s 3,102 votes, or 32 percent COUNCILMAN DISTRICT 2 Incumbent Timmy Roussel was re-elected to his third term on the parish council without much trouble.

Roussel got 891 votes, 59 percent, while Jude F. Poche received 620 or 41percent.

COUNCILMAN DISTRICT 3 This was one of two council races that will be decided by a run-off in November. Incumbent Eric Poche will face-off against Wilson MalbroughJr. next month.Malbrough was the top finisher in the primary with 519 votes, or 34 percent. Poche had 460 votes, or 30 percent. Glenda Jeansonne had 281votes or 18 percent, and Timothy “Droopy” Bourgeois had 276 or 17 percent.

COUNCILMAN DISTRICT 4 Ralph Patin Jr. will be returning to the council for his third term as he ranaway with the election over his two opponents.

Patin received 626 votes, or 56 percent, while Emile “Malo” Augillard Jr.

had 268 votes for 24 percent and Richard Burton Jr. had 224 votes for 20percent COUNCILMAN DISTRICT 5 This is the second of two races that ended in a run-off in St. JamesParish. Incumbent Oliver Cooper Sr. will be running against James Mitchellin the November election.

Mitchell led the field with 421 votes, or 33 percent, while Cooper had 378 votes, or 29 percent.

Charles “I Spy” Katchens finished with 280 votes, or 22 percent; Stanley B.

Vedol had 150 votes, or 12 percent; and Lawrence “Lalo” Ambrose had 65 votes, or 5 percent.

COUNCILMAN DISTRICT 6 Elton Aubert gets a second term in office by beating out two other candidates.

Aubert had 868 votes, or 56 percent. Larry James Alexander Sr. had 515votes, or 33 percent, while Wanda Dumas Pierre had 157 votes, or 11 percent.

COUNCILMAN DISTRICT 7 Incumbent Jimmy Brazen ran away with this contest, ensuring him his second term on the council. Brazen got 1,304 votes or 82 percent, whileHenry “T-Hen” Brock had 295 votes, or 18 percent.

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