New Breaux Bridge City Council districts in effect

One of the candidates in the Nov. 4 election was doing legwork in a neighborhood north of I-10 and got some unexpected push-back from a voter she was counting on.
“But I kinda like Bimmie,” said the voter.
Councilman Gary “Bimmie” Champagne represents District E on the Breaux Bridge City Council, and the candidate mentioned above is running for the open District A seat. But the voter she was courting – like possibly a lot of voters residing in North Bridge and Bear Creek subdivisions – did not realize he is now in District A instead of District E.
This is because of redistricting, redrawing the boundaries of the territories represented by each elected official.
Redistricting occurs every 10 years so that single-member election districts all have about the same number of voters in them, give or take 5 percent ideally. Infrequent and esoteric, it’s not something people pay much attention to unless they’re the office-holders whose districts are being redrawn.
Last year the Breaux Bridge City Council approved new districts more evenly distributing the city’s population as described by the 2010 U.S. Census. According to demographer Mike Hefner of Geographic Planning and Demographic Services, four of the five council districts fell outside the 5 percent tolerance level.
And District E, recipient of much of the territory annexed north of I-10, was the worst. Since the 2000 Census, it had grown by 48.5 percent.
The biggest impact of this leveling-out was to take territory away from District E and give it to Districts A and D.
This is the first election since the change, so naturally there’s some confusion.
It doesn’t really impact Champagne or his neighbor to the south, District D Councilman Glenn Michael Angelle. They, along with District C Councilman Albert “Da Da” Menard, have no opposition and are automatically reelected for another four years beginning Jan. 1. 2015.
But District A is wide-open because Councilman Terry Thibodeaux, completing his third term, is not running for reelection. (He cited increased obligations associated with his job as operations supervisor for Atmos Energy, a natural gas utility.) Running for the position are Gereline “Geri” Frederick, a Democrat, and Brenda Castille Hobbs, a Republican.
District B Councilman Howard “Doc” Alexander is set to face off against challenger Michael J. “T-Mike” Breaux in the Nov. 4 election.
Other Breaux Bridge city elections, which are city-wide rather than by district, are:
•Mayor – Candidates are former City Councilman Ricky J. Calais, Parish Councilwoman Jill Hebert, and businessman George J. Williams. Mayor Jack Dale Delhomme is retiring after four terms as mayor and a term on the City Council.
•Chief of Police – Incumbent Chief P.J. Hebert is being challenged by former Assistant Chief Rollie Cantu.
•City Judge – Incumbent Randy P. Angelle elected without opposition.
•City Marshal – Incumbent Jerry Frederick elected without opposition.