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LAPLACE — A special election will be held in St. John the Baptist Parish to select a constable for District 3, filling the seat that has been left vacant following the resignation of the Honorable Gabrielle McKarry.

The Louisiana governor is required by law to call a special election to fill a vacancy in public office when more than 18 months of the term remain unexpired.

McKarry was elected the District 3 constable in November 2020 in a narrow race in which she claimed 50.51% of the vote, compared to Matthew Maurin’s 49.49%.

McKarry resigned from the position on April 28, 2022. Since recently graduating from Southern University Law Center, McKarry is focusing on the next steps of her legal career.

“It was a pleasure and honor to serve the community in the capacity of constable within District 3,” McKarry said. “I met a lot of people during my journey as constable, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as constable. I thank everyone who supported me along the way.”

McKarry shared that she intends to run for public office again in the future.

With the Constable District 3 seat up for grabs, potential candidates are invited to participate in the qualifying period that begins on Wednesday, July 20 and ends at 4:30 p.m. Friday, July 22.

The primary election will be held on Tuesday, November 8, and a general election will be held on Saturday, December 10.

Constables are martials of the justice of the peace courts with the power to serve warrants/summons, process evictions, and handle other related matters.

The St. John the Baptist Parish constables include District One – Chyral August, District Two – Ronald Frank, District Four – Michael Green Jr., District Five – Robert “Bobby” Brady, District Six – Janice McClain Mitchell, and District Seven – Keith “Mike” Bourgeois. Contact information can be found at sjbparish.gov/Government/Constables.