Three police jury races head to runoffs

Three Lincoln Parish districts will have another choice to make at the Nov. 18 general election as the police jury races in districts 1, 10 and 11 are headed to runoffs.

In each of these three-way races in Saturday’s primary, no candidate came away with 50% or more of the votes, so the top two finishers will go back on the ballot to determine the final three slots on the parish governing body for 2024 and beyond.

In District 1, incumbent Theresa Wyatt faces challenger Greg “Big Coach” Williams. In District 10, jury Vice President Milton Melton looks to hold off challenger Gary Baldwin. And in District 11, two challengers already defeated incumbent Sharyon Mayfield and now face each other: Diane Heard Richards and Patsy Candler.

District 1

As the results trickled in Saturday night, Wyatt held an outright lead with 52% of the vote through early voting and several precincts.

But as the final precincts reported, Wyatt’s lead slipped to 49% over Williams’ 45%. That was a margin of just 22 votes —256 to 234.

Will Edwards finished a distant third with 31 votes.

Turnout in the district was just 23.5%. As a 16-year veteran of the jury, Wyatt’s campaign message centered on experience, while Williams promised change. Both candidates reiterated those messages Monday as they looked ahead to their November faceoff.

“The jury has a plan, and I want to be a part of bringing that plan to reality,” Wyatt said. “I have the experience.”

Wyatt said she hopes to remain on the jury to see to completion several projects, such as the in-progress Health Hub complex, widening parish roads, improving rural fire protection, securing sustainable animal control for the parish, and more.

“I am grateful to the people in District 1 and grateful to God for allowing me this opportunity to press forward so I could be instrumental in getting some of the projects on the table done in the next term,” she said. “The turnout was lower in the parish than I expected. But I know that people in my district are loyal. They recognize our accomplishments, and they’re willing to go to the polls to get us back in.”

Williams said he’s asking District 1 voters to look beyond experience to find substance.

“I’d just like for them to look hard at the candidates, look at what’s been done and what’s been promised,” he said. “Right now, my opponent’s been there 16 years. But does she have 16 years of experience making the police jury and District 1 better?”

Throughout the campaign Williams has been critical of Wyatt’s vote against renewing emergency medical and rescue services for the parish with the Ruston Fire Department in 2022.

“It’s time to restore transparency to this police jury,” he said. “I’m grateful for District 1 for allowing me the chance to do just that.”

District 10

Melton also held an outright lead at 52% when early voting figures were reported, but as election day precincts came in, he slipped to 48%, good for first place but inviting a runoff with Baldwin.

Melton pulled 227 votes to Baldwin’s 165. Morris “Mo Love” Winters came in third with 82 votes.

Melton said he didn’t expect to have a runoff, but now he’ll go door to door in the district once again to convince voters he’s the best man for the job.

“I’ve served the people of District 10 and the parish well,” he said. “My goal going forward is, there’s some projects we want to get done, and hopefully if I’m reelected I’ll be able to accomplish this in the next four years.”

Melton cited the Health Hub as a major project to see through to completion. He also referenced a new project the jury has eyed recently: building a connecting road from Louisiana Highway 146 to Longstraw Road, as the old one has been closed since the Ruston Regional Airport extended its runway.

The Lincoln Parish Fire Protection District’s response time to fires in those neighborhoods has come up repeatedly in the District 10 campaign as a complaint from citizens.

“The parish has a fire station down there that’s been abandoned because the road has been closed,” Melton said. “ If we’re able to accomplish this, that could make the fire station active to serve the (southern) part of District 10 and District 9.”

On Monday both runoff candidates referenced the low 21.8% turnout in District 10.

Baldwin said the key to his victory will be increasing that turnout.

“Everybody is saying they want the man out of office, but how can you get him out if you don’t vote?” Baldwin said.

He cited the Grambling State University homecoming game as a key contributor to the low voting numbers. But in the runoff he hopes to pick up the voters who went with Winters in the primary, as he said Winters has pledged his support to Baldwin’s campaign.

Baldwin hopes to distinguish himself in the runoff as the candidate more connected with the everyday people of District 10.

“I’m the best choice because I’ve been there for the people, being the voice for the people and letting everybody know that there’s a man that won’t say no,” he said. “It is time for a change, and the change would be for the better.”

District 11

District 11 ousted incumbent Sharyon Mayfield in favor of both Richards and Candler Saturday.

In another low-turnout race, Richards led the way throughout the night but never approached the margin needed to win outright, finishing with 43% of the vote, or 152 ballots.

Candler pulled in 111 votes, good for 31%. Mayfield received another 93 votes, or 26%.

Turnout was 18.6% of registered voters.

The Leader could not reach one of the candidates by press time Monday. Read more on the District 11 race in an upcoming edition.