Hammond mayor’s race heads to runoff and other Tangipahoa results

TANGIPAHOA PARISH, La. (WVUE) - Results are in from Tuesday’s (Nov. 8) election and the Hammond mayor’s race is headed for a runoff.

Incumbent Mayor Pete Panepinto will face political newcomer Tracy Washington Wells, who is the wife of City Councilman Devon Wells, in a special runoff election that will take place on Dec. 10.

Panepinto is currently seeking election to a third consecutive term as mayor. He was first elected in 2014, as a prominent businessman in the community with a platform promising fiscal responsibility and economic growth.

Wells is running on the promise of community partnerships with local government. With a B.S. in Public Health from Dillard University, Wells has a resume of experience as a social worker on federal, state, and citywide levels.

Panepinto, a republican, led all candidates with 47 percent of the vote with a 43 percent voter turnout. Wells, a democrat, finished with 26 percent of the vote. Owner of downtown shop Hammond Florist, Johnny Pecoraro, a democrat, finished as a third-place challenger, earning 18 percent of the vote. Real estate developer Darryl Smith finished last with 9 percent of the vote.

Kentwood mayor’s race heads to runoff

In Kentwood, the mayorial race will head to a Dec. 10 runoff.

Incumbent Rochell Bates, a democrat who is the principal of Kentwood High Magnet School, will enter a runoff after finishing second in results with 35 percent of the vote to challenger Irma Gordon, also a democrat, who earned 41 percent of the vote. 23-year-old Town Councilman Tre’Von Cooper finished third with 24% of the vote.

Gordon is seeking a return to the mayor’s office, a position she held for years before she was defeated by Bates, who was a first-time political challenger, in the previous election.

Other parish-wide results are below.

Member of School Board -- District F

Trent Anthony 60%

Kimberly Thibodeaux 40%

Member of School Board -- District H (runoff)

Sandra Bailey-Simmons 40%

Joseph “Joey” Piazza II 31%

Kelly S. Wells 29%

Member of School Board -- District I

Rose Quave Dominguez 78%

Arden Wells 22%

Aldermen -- Town of Independence