Local polls open Saturday in parish

Voters throughout St. Tammany Parish will face a smorgasbord of choices Saturday when polls open to elect new district and state Supreme Court judges, local justices of the peace and constables, a public service commissioner and a Democratic candidate for U.S. representative.

Four tax renewals are also on the ballot aimed to operate the parish animal shelter, a fire district in Lacombe, a road lighting district and the parishwide Council on Aging and STARC. Another proposition even asks voters in a debt riddled sewerage district in Abita Springs to sell its assets to a large scale sewer company to nix proposed rate hikes.

Polls are open from 6-8 p.m.

In all, 66 candidates are vying for the 20 open seats that include five new judgeships for the 22nd Judicial District, two of which — Divisions K and L — were newly approved by legislators this year to tackle family law cases only.

Four other benches opened when sitting judges for the 22nd Judicial Court either reached a mandatory retirement age or decided to hang up their robes.

One candidate, Will Crain, a Covington Republican, was elected to Larry Green’s Division G bench unopposed. The move left vacancies in Division C being vacated by Patricia Hedges, Division B being vacated by Elaine DiMiceli and Division H being vacated by Donald Fendlason.

Those races have played out on virtually every major street corner in St. Tammany.

Dozens of campaigns signs, many in front of each other and often side by side, tout each candidate’s expertise for the six-year terms. An important judgeship vote to be cast this year is one that reaches the state’s high court.

Three appellate judges are in the race to replace Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Pascal Calogero when he retires Dec. 31.

The candidates, 4th Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Roland Belsome, a Democrat, 5th Circuit Judge Greg Guidry and 1st Circuit Judge Jimmy Kuhn, both Republicans, are all vying for the Northshore vote. Also of statewide note is the Public Service Commissioner district seat being vacated by long-term incumbent Jay Blossman of Covington. The PSC, largely known as a utility company regulator, also regulates waste haulers and intrastate good carriers.

Whoever wins the District 1 seat will oversee such matters in St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington, St. Helena and parts of Livingston parishes.

The Democratic primary for the First Congressional District of the U.S. House of Representatives will feature Democrats Jim Harlan of Lacombe and M.V. Vinny Mendoza, a Kenner organic farmer. The winner will face Republican Congressman Steve Scalise in the November election.