Thomas Nelson, the two-term mayor of St. Martinville, was forced into a runoff in a primary contest against two challengers.
Melinda Narcisse "Mel" Mitchell will face incumbent Mayor Thomas Nelson in the May 3 election.
Debra Landry, who was appointed to replace the late Ronald Charles on the City Council, is in a runoff with former St. Martinville policeman Nary Smith.
Nary Smith Sr., former assistant police chief, is challenging incumbent Debra Landry in the May 3 runoff.
Romanus "Ike" Robertson, a former city councilman, defeated two-term incumbent Arthur Champ in Saturday's election.
Arthur Champ, who narrowly defeated Ike Robertson in 2006 and 2010, was himself unseated by a dozen votes on April 5.
St. Martinville mayor in a runoff May 3
Mayor Thomas Nelson will vie with challenger Melinda Narcisse “Mel” Mitchell in the May 3 runoff election.
In District 4, interim incumbent Debra Landry, who had three challengers in Saturday’s primary, will go head-to-head with former policeman Nary Smith Sr. in the runoff.
And Councilman Arthur Champ Jr. fell to defeat against Romanus “Ike” Robertson for the District 5 seat.
District 3 Councilman Dennis Paul Williams defeated Winfield Ledet with a comfortable margin of 53.5 percent.
Two other councilmen, Mike Fuselier of District 1 and Craig Prosper of District 2, drew no opponents and were automatically elected at the close of qualifying.
Nelson got 883 votes or 45.1 percent in a three-way contest with Mel Mitchell and Bernard J. Mitchell Jr. He needed 50 percent to avoid a runoff. Mel Mitchell polled 601 votes or 30.69 percent, while Bernard Mitchell received 474 for 24.2 percent.
In 2010, Nelson, polled 60 percent to Mel Mitchell’s 40 percent in the primary. In 2006, Nelson ran in a field of four and won outright with 63 percent.
Two-term incumbent Arthur Champ lost to Ike Robertson, a former councilman, by a dozen votes in District 5, a statistical breakdown of 51.44 percent to 48.56 percent. In 2006, Champ defeated the then-incumbent Robertson in a runoff 51-49 percent. In 2010, he held onto the seat in another 51-49 runoff against Robertson.
Debra Landry, who was appointed to replace the late Councilman Ronald Charles in District 4, received 188 votes to former SMPD Assistant Chief Nary Smith’s 145, a split of 39.5 percent for Landry, 30.46 percent for Smith, and about 16 percent for Richard B. Simon Sr., 14 percent for Mary Martha Pierre.
Dennis Paul Williams got 214 voters to Winfield Ledet’s 186 in District 3.
Turnout in the crowded District 4 race was highest at 46.5 percent. It was 43 percent and change in the other St. Martinville races.
In Arnaudville, Eddy Lecompte defeated Kenneth “Toby: Wetzel 144 to 127 for chief of police. The split was 53 to 47 percent. The St. Martin Parish portion of the vote went for Wetzel, 5-2 or 71-29 percent. Turnout was low, 32.9 percent overall and only 19.4 percent in St. Martin.
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