Council seats in Lake Charles, Vinton on Saturday’s ballot

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Two city council seats in Lake Charles and one town council seat in Vinton are on the ballot for Saturday’s runoff election.

Voters in Allen Parish will be deciding on seven taxes and voters in Vernon Parish will be casting their votes for the District 4 seat of the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

There is nothing on the ballot in Beauregard, Cameron, and Jeff Davis parishes.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 24. After the election, KPLC will have results HERE.

Click HERE for more on what’s on your ballot and where to vote. Click HERE for more facts about the election.

In Lake Charles, both the District A and District C seats are in runoffs.

In District A, Dianna Ross (D), is challenging incumbent Mary Morris (D). Out of four candidates in the March 20 election, Morris received 36 percent of the vote (615 votes) and Ross received 33 percent (675 votes). Morris, seeking her third term, was elected to the council in 2013.

A candidate must receive at least one vote over 50 percent to win a primary election.

Longtime city councilman Rodney Geyen (D) is being challenged for the District C seat by Priscilla Sam (D). Out of three candidates in the March 20 election, Geyen received 46 percent of the vote (623 votes), while Sam received 33 percent (445 votes). First elected in 1997, Geyen has served on the city council for 24 years.

In Vinton, two current town council members are in a runoff for an at-large seat. Seven candidates were on the ballot for five at-large seats in the March 20 election. Stephanie Hardy and Paul Patin each received 14 percent of the vote (226 votes) and are vying for the fifth council seat on Saturday. Hardy was elected to the council in 2017, while Patin is a long-time town council member who has also served on the Calcasieu Parish School Board.

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