Retired State Trooper Becket Breaux swept to victory in the three-man race for sheriff of St. Martin Parish in the gubernatorial primary election this past Saturday.
Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards topped his five opponents both locally and statewide but fell short of a majority and will face Republican challenger Eddie Rispone in the Nov. 16 general election.
Breaux, who earned a degree in criminal justice from LSU and is a graduate of the FBI Academy, garnered a commanding 60 percent of the 19,147 votes cast parishwide, topping Brian Douglas Theriot (30%) and Albert “Buz” LeBlanc (10%).
The voter turnout for the sheriff’s race represented 51.6% of the parish’s registered voters.
Contacted Monday, Breaux expressed gratitude for his victory and promised he would be the sheriff “for those who supported him as well as those who didn’t.”
He indicated that he would be appointing a chief deputy who would serve as his “right hand man” when he takes office in July. While the person would definitely be a parish resident, Breaux would not say whether the individual would come from within the existing department.
Among his priority objectives will be to form a street crimes unit to combat illegal drug use across the parish.
Throughout his campaign he promised he would be very tough on drug dealers.
Breaux believes that closer contact with the public is important to regain trust and make citizens more willing to cooperate with law enforcement.
“And I want to make the department a more technically advanced agency,” he added.
“But I believe that we are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with,” he concluded.
Other Races
St. Martinville – In voting for statewide offices last Saturday, St. Martin Parish residents generally supported winning candidates in both statewide and legislative races.
And with six of the Parish Council’s nine seats up for grabs, incumbent Byron Fuselier was returned for another term in Dist. 1 while Dist. 7’s Albert “Da Da” Menard was forced into a runoff with challenger Vincent Alexander, edging Alexander by 12 votes but falling far short of a majority.
New faces on the council will be LaTanghue “Tangie” Narcisse in Dist. 3, David Poirier in Dist. 4 and Brook Champagne in Dist. 6.
Thomas Nelson and Carla Jean Batiste are in a runoff for the Dist. 2 seat.
The parish is part of two different state senatorial districts and four representative districts.
Sen. Fred Mills Jr. was unopposed for his seat and Gerald Boudreaux won re-election in Dist. 24.
State Rep. Mike Pete Huval will face challenger Keith Baudin for the Dist. 46 seat; Beau Beaullieu and Ricky Gonsoulin meet again in Dist. 48; and Vincent S. Blanc III and Raymond Harris Jr. advance in Dist. 50.
St. Martinville resident Marcus Bryant won the Dist. 96 seat.
Statewide
Parish voters supported the winners in all statewide races, including native son Jeff Landry who easily won a second term as attorney general.
The only undecided race was for secretary of state, where incumbent Kyle Ardoin will again face Gwen Collins-Greenup in a runoff. Ardoin received 53 percent of the parish vote but only 41 percent statewide while Collins-Greenup trailed with 34 percent.
How St. Martin Parish Voted
Shown below are results of Oct. 12 voting in St. Martin Parish with comparisons to statewide and legislative district balloting.
• winner
* runoff opponents
Governor
*John Bell Edwards6,873 - 35%
(Statewide626,000 - 47%)
Ralph Abraham6,545 - 33%
(Statewide317,115 - 24%)
*Eddie Rispone5,824 - 30%
(Statewide368,318 - 27%)
3 others396 - 3%
(53% parish turnout , 45% statewide)
Lt. Governor
•Billy Nungesser14,178 - 76%
(Statewide68%)
Willie Jones4,574 - 24%
Sect, of State
*Kyle Ardoin9,769 - 53%
(Statewide528,273 - 41%)
*Gwen Collins-Greenup 4,540 - 24%
(Statewide434,609 - 34%
Thomas Kennedy III3,357 - 18%
Amanda Smith883 - 5%
Attorney General
•Jeff Landry14,615 - 77%
(Statewide66%)
Ike Jackson Jr.4,407 - 23%
Treasurer
•John Schroder12,542 - 68%
(Statewide60%)
Derrick Edwards4,960 - 27%
Teresa Kenny942 - 5%
Comm. - Agriculture & Forestry
•Mike Strain11,438 - 62%
(Statewide57%)
Marguerite Green2,397 - 13%
Bradley Zaunbrecher1,902 - 10%
Peter Williams1,565 - 8%
Charlie Greer1,117 - 6%
Comm. - Insurance
•Jim Donelon10,245 - 59%
(Statewide53%)
Tim Temple7,157 - 41%
BESE - Dist. 3
•Sandy L. Holloway8,993 - 78%
(Districtwide77%)
Janice Perea2,496 - 22%
BESE - Dist. 8
•Preston Castille3,200 - 61%
(Districtwide52%)
Vereta Tanner Lee847 - 16%
Jonathan Loveall675 - 13%
Chakesha Webb Scott553 - 10%
State Senator - Dist. 24
Gerald Boudreaux840 - 79%
(Districtwide76%)
Cory Levier I228 - 21%
State Rep. - Dist. 46
*Mike Pete Huval5,017 - 42%
(Districtwide6,568 - 44%)
*Keith Baudin4,454 - 37%
(Districtwide5,207 - 35%)
Ginger Benoit2,590 - 21%
(Districtwide3,062 - 21%)
State Rep. - Dist. 48
*Beau Beaullieu341 - 36%
(Districtwide6,810 - 43%)
*Ricky Gonsoulin234 - 25%)
(Districtwide5,329 - 34%)
David Levy203 - 22%
(Districtwide2,039 - 13%)
Dana Dugas157 - 17%
(Districtwide1,600 - 10%)
State Rep, - Dist. 50
*Vincent St. Blanc III208 - 46%
(Districtwide3,921 - 33%)
Shawn Canty132 - 29%
(Districtwide1,946 - 16%)
Chet Howard60 - 13%
(Districtwide1,613 - 14%)
*Raymond Harris Jr.25 - 6%
(Districtwide2,961 - 25%)
Javon Charles25 - 6%
(Districtwide1,367 - 12%)
State Rep. - Dist. 96
•Marcus Bryant2,819 - 59%
(Districtwide5,298 - 58%)
Bob Titus II1,083 - 23%
(Districtwide2,274 - 22%)
Yogi Maturin530 - 11%
Patrick Isaac Wiltz371 - 8%
SHERIFF
•Becket Breaux11,553 - 60%
Brian Douglas Theriot5,662 - 30%
Albert ‘Buz’ LeBlanc1,932 - 10%
PARISH COUNCIL
District 1
•Byron Fuselier1.381 - 63%
Chad A. Broussard795 - 37%
District 2
*Thomas Nelson781 - 42%
*Carla Jean Batiste672 - 36%
“Poppa” Crosier428 - 23%
District 3
•“Tangie” Narcisse868 - 53%
Vonda LeBlanc780 - 47%
District 4
•David M. Poirier2,022 - 81%
Andrea L. Sonnier471 - 19%
District 6
•Brook Champagne1,251 - 55%
Rocky ‘Black’ Hebert1,006 - 45%
District 7
*Albert ‘Da Da’ Menard568 - 35%
*Vincent Alexander556 - 34%
Francis Reed400 - 25%
Joseph B. Sylvester91 - 6%
Sub-Road Dist. 1 of Road Dist. 1
(6.46 Mills Renewal - 10 Yrs.)
Yes197 - 46%
No233 - 54%
Amendment #1
(Exemptions, Continental Shelf)
Yes8,951 - 52%
(Statewide47%)
No8,248 - 48%
Amendment #2
(Education Excellence Fund)
Yes7,680 - 45%
(Statewide612,242)
No9,416 - 55%
(Statewide603,736)
Amendment #3
(Unconsitutional Tax Paid)
Yes8,869 - 52%
(Statewide58%)
No8,148 - 48%
Amendment #4
(N.O. Property Tax Exemptions)
Yes5,371 - 31%
(Statewide37%)
No11,787 - 69%
