HOUMA, La. — Terrebonne Parish President is up for grabs. Current president, Gordon Dove, is termed out.
Right now, there are seven candidates, but that will narrow down after Saturday's election.
The race is coming at a critical time for the parish.
Residents have said infrastructure, schools that remain closed, blight and homeowners' and flood insurance rates are just some of the top issues the parish is facing in the wake of Hurricane Ida.
Folks living in lower Terrebonne also stressed coastal restoration versus levee protection is top of mind. Others mentioned filling job openings in the parish and keeping crime at bay.
So, what are the top priorities for the candidates? WWL-TV asked.
Jason Bergeron (R)
Jason Bergeron has not held any political offices or positions prior to running for Terrebonne Parish President. Bergeron said he's a Terrebonne Parish native and businessman working to, "Move Terrebonne Parish Forward."
His top priority is providing more opportunities for residents.
"Our quality of life and culture are eroding like our coast. Addressing issues like insurance, bad roads, broken bridges, economic disadvantage, economic development, drugs, homelessness, and mental health all affect our quality of life," Bergeron said, "With my children leaving as we speak and being frustrated with fighting against government for survival, a calling to make our parish better led me to run."
Connie Bourg (R)
This is also Connie Bourg's first time running for any political office. Bourg is a lifelong resident of Terrebonne Parish. Her top priority is cleaning all drainage ditches and Bayou Terrebonne and repairing parish roads.
"I am passionate about quality of life and beautification of our Parish. I have not accepted any campaign funds. I owe no one. I decided to run, so I feel it is up to me to pay for my campaign. I want to be physically responsible," Bourg said.
Roy Chauvin (R)
Roy Chauvin has also never run for office, and he has lived in Terrebonne Parish most of his life. He previously served as a Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Agent.
"My main objective is to bring fairness, honesty, and justice into the parish president's office and to restore core values of God, family and country. if these qualities are present then everything else will fall into place," Chauvin said.
Christa Duplantis-Prather (R)
Christa Duplantis-Prather served 20 years on the Terrebonne Parish Council. She's lived in Terrebonne for 58 years and worked as an RN for 31 years.
"My top priority is Listening to the People of the parish and make sure the government has greater accountability and transparency with tax dollars which will improve the quality of life for ALL the people of Terrebonne Parish," Duplantis-Prather said, "The number one issue in the parish is a declining population. This is due to lack of affordable housing and high insurance rates because of federal mandates. People can’t afford to live here anymore."
Darrin Guidry (R)
Darrin Guidry is currently serving his second term as Terrebonne Parish Councilman. Guidry said the cost of living in Terrebonne Parish is the number one issue residents are facing.
He has lived in Terrebonne Parish for over 34 years and managed two local radio stations in Houma until 1995, when he and his wife founded a local weekly newspaper, the Tri-Parish Times. He sold the newspaper company in 2014 and was elected to Council in 2015.
"Number one priority will be lowering the cost of living (including insurance), cleaning up the community and improving the economy," Guidry said.
Michael Paul LaRussa (R)
Michael Paul LaRussa has not held any political offices. He's lived in Terrebonne Parish for over 50 years.
LaRussa has been the president of the family-owned Coldwell Banker LaRussa Real Estate.
"My top priority if elected is to make Terrebonne Parish an attractive place for our children to live so that they don't leave permanently once they go away to college. The most important ways we can achieve this goal include fighting to lower insurance rates, improving Terrebonne's business climate (especially with regard to the oil and gas industry), working to lower crime, expanding recreational programs and activities, and enhancing our flood protection systems," LaRussa said.
Aronda Smith (I)
Parish President is Aronda Smith's first run for a political office as well. Smith was born and raised in Terrebonne Parish. She’s a business consultant, professional coach, and a proud graduate of Terrebonne High School 1987. After high school, she served as a medic in the United States Army, deploying in support of Operation Desert Shield and Storm.
She earned an undergraduate degree in Business Administration. She then fulfilled her childhood dream of graduating from an Ivy League with a master’s degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania.
"One of my top priorities is to take a bird’s eye view of Parish government. I plan to do an organizational wide assessment of all Parish departments. The goal is to ensure we are operating at maximum efficiency to provide the best services to the citizens of Terrebonne Parish. More importantly, I will take a look at compensation for Parish personnel. We need competitive salaries, training and the proper equipment for personnel to thrive," Smith said.
Smith said she is also focused on mental health and addiction services.
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