FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Terrence Lockett
MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2023 terrence@dfer.org
Five DFER champions win races in BESE, Senate & House
Three DFER-backed candidates face runoffs
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Following the reported victories of five DFER champions for seats on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and in the Legislature, Democrats for Education Reform Louisiana’s Executive Director, Terrence Lockett, released the following statement:
“We’re proud to congratulate these DFER candidates on their hard-fought and well-deserved victories,” said Lockett. “As we’ve said, we believe the Democratic Party should be the party that champions children and families, ensuring better life outcomes both inside and outside the classroom. These primary victories prove that to be true and are a testament to the need for continued progress and opportunity for Louisiana families.
Based on unofficial returns, DFER-endorsed candidate and BESE District 8 incumbent Preston Castille won re-election handily with 70% of the vote.
“It’s evident that Preston’s leadership and voice on BESE is critical; we’re thrilled that his tenure on BESE will continue,” said Lockett. “When Preston was first elected in 2019, our organization believed he would be an invaluable leader. His commanding win proves that voters agree; and, with a wave of new incoming BESE members, his ability to craft policy and build collaborative relationships across party or agenda becomes even more crucial.
Based on unofficial returns, DFER-backed candidate and District 2 incumbent Sen. Ed Price won re-election with 68% of the vote.
Three DFER-backed candidates won elections to the Louisiana House of Representatives:
- House District 26: Incumbent Ed Larvadain III bested two challengers with 62% of the vote.
- House District 40: Incumbent Dustin Miller held a strong victory margin with 81% of the vote.
- House District 83: Incumbent Kyle M. Green, Jr. was easily re-elected with 71% of the vote.
“Our work is not done and we will ensure the three remaining DFER-endorsed candidates get the resources they need to finish strong as they face a run-off election in November. DFER LA PAC will also be issuing new endorsements for select runoff races in the coming weeks,” said Lockett.
Here are the unofficial results in select House races that are headed to a runoff:
- House District 4: Joy Walters (34%) will face Jasmine Greene (33%), who edged into second place by just 32 votes.
- House District 21: Incumbent C. Travis Johnson (49%) will face James “Jamie” Davis, Jr. (44%).
- House District 23: Shaun Mena (29%) and Tammy Savoie (36%) will face off in November.
The runoff election for select statewide and legislative races will be on Saturday, November 18. Early voting will take place from Fri. Nov. 3 to Sat. Nov. 11 (except Sunday, Nov. 5 and Friday, Nov. 10 for Veterans Day) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
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