Early voting underway in judge’s race; candidates receive endorsements

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Voters will head to the polls on Saturday, March 25, to choose the next person to take on Baton Rouge’s backed-up court system.

Judge Tim Kelley retired back in January, leaving his seat wide open. Four candidates are running for the job.

Woody Jenkins, chairman of the Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish, said the party has decided it would support two of the four candidates.

“Jordan Faircloth and Johanna Landreneau. Johanna and Jordan are both very experienced lawyers. They’re capable, they’re conservative, and I think they would do a really good job,” Jenkins said.

Landreneau, a Republican, called the endorsement an honor.

“I think the experience that I have, the legal experience,” Landreneau said. “I’ve been practicing law for 30 years, and I’ve been practicing in the district courts representing clients in jury trials, bench trials. I’ve represented hundreds of families and businesses and individuals, helping them with their disputes in our courts. And I think that distinguishes me from Jordan Faircloth as well as my life experience.”

Like Landreneau, Faircloth, also a Republican, is keeping crime top of mind.

“The Baton Rouge I see today is not the Baton Rouge I first met and fell in love with,” Faircloth said in a campaign ad. “Violent crime and corruption are destroying our city. That’s the reason I’m running for judge. If we don’t take a stand right now for what’s right, for transparent government, for law and order, and for a safer community, we’re gonna lose our city.”

The East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office said Faircloth and Landreneau have more experience with civil cases and that whoever gets elected should be more familiar with criminal cases to deal with the backlogs in the courts. That’s why East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore has decided to endorse Louise Hines Myers, a Republican who used to work in his office.

“I’m pretty sure that this is going to be a criminal seat, and she’s the only candidate that really has any kind of criminal experience whatsoever,” Moore explained.

“The docket that’s waiting for whoever wins is a full criminal docket, and I have been prosecuting in criminal court for over 12 years. That’s rapes, murders, armed robberies, thefts, child sex crimes, you name it I’ve dealt with all of them,” Myers said.

WAFB reached out to Steve Myers, the fourth Republican in the race, but did not hear back. He is not related to Louise Hines Myers.

The primary election will take place Saturday, March 25, 2023.

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