Election 2023: Final day for candidates to qualify for Louisiana’s fall ballot

Statewide candidates seeking a spot on the Oct. 14 ballot in Louisiana had until 4:30 p.m. Thursday to qualify with the Secretary of State. The same deadline applied to local candidates with their parish clerks of court.

The Illuminator followed qualifying activity and posted updates here throughout the day, with the latest news posted first below. 

4 p.m. Gary Rispone, brother of 2019 governor candidate Eddie Rispone, has qualified to run for lieutenant governor. Gary, who doesn’t have a party affiliation, is best known for his cable TV outdoors show and lives in Greenwell Springs.

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2:30 p.m.: Two more candidates have qualified for the BESE District 4 race: Republican real estate agent Paige Hoffpauir and Democrat retired teacher Emma Shepard. They will face Stacey Melerine, a Republican running to replace her husband, Mike, who is seeking a Louisiana House seat.

It’s now a three-Republican field for BESE District 7, featuring Lake Charles pastor Cathy Banks, Lafayette engineering firm owner Erick Knezek and Jennings rice farmer Kevin Berken. Current District 7 representative and BESE President Holly Boffy had yet to qualify as of 3 p.m. Thursday.

State Rep. Buddy Mincey has qualified to face Rep. Valarie Hodges in a a showdown between Denham Springs Republicans for the Senate District 13 seat that J. Rogers Pope is vacating.

State Rep. @NelsonforLA has qualified to run for governor #lalege #lagov pic.twitter.com/0yjDxOuJSc

— Piper Hutchinson (@ByPiperHutch) August 10, 2023

11:20 a.m.: There’s now a four-person field in the Senate District 39 race. Jim Slagle, a Republican accountant from Vivian qualified Thursday and joins three Democrats already in the race: state Reps. Cedric Glover and Sam Jenkins and former state lawmaker Barbara Norton — all from Shreveport.

.@stephenwags has qualified to run for governor #lalege #lagov pic.twitter.com/AVDjpq6Lu7

— Piper Hutchinson (@ByPiperHutch) August 10, 2023

10:30 a.m.: Chase Jennings, a former regional representative for U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, has qualified for the state Senate District 38 race, joining state Rep. Thomas Pressly and former state Sen. John Milkovich in the all-Republican field.

8:50 a.m.: “DeeDee” Cormier-Zenon of Carencro has qualified to run against incumbent Preston Castille of Baton Rouge for BESE District 8. Both are Democrats.

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