Nearly 87% of Calcasieu School Board Seats Decided Before Election Day
CALCASIEU PARISH, La. — Before voters even head to the polls Tuesday, nearly 87% of the Calcasieu Parish School Board has already been decided. Of the board’s 15 seats, 13 were filled without a contested election, leaving just two races for voters to determine. The board oversees a public school system serving approximately 29,000 students and managing hundreds of millions of dollars in annual spending.
In District 13, covering Maplewood Elementary, Maplewood Middle and R.W. Vincent Elementary in Sulphur, Republican John Brame secured the seat after Democratic candidate Laurie Koelzer withdrew from the race. Brame will replace longtime board member Billy Breaux, who has represented District 13 since 2002. With Koelzer’s withdrawal, the November 3 election for District 13 was canceled, leaving Brame elected without opposition.
Pastor vs. Police Chief
In District 1, covering Iowa, LeBleu Settlement and Bell City, voters will choose between Republican Rick Batchelor, a longtime pastor emphasizing teacher pay, classroom discipline and equitable funding for rural schools, and Howard “Keith” Vincent, Iowa’s retiring police chief, who prioritizes school safety, teacher retention and student attendance. Both candidates bring decades of community service but offer different professional backgrounds and approaches to school leadership.
The Incumbent vs. the Challenger
District 2 voters in North Lake Charles will decide between incumbent Karen Hardy McReynolds and challenger Lydia “Lottie” Larce, both Democrats. McReynolds is campaigning on continuing academic improvements and facility investments made during her first term. Larce is emphasizing community involvement, accountability and equitable resources, including concerns about how residents were represented during discussions surrounding federal desegregation oversight.
With 13 seats already settled, only voters in Districts 1 and 2 will have an opportunity to choose between competing candidates on November 3.
Who Else Won Without Opposition?
In addition to John Brame in District 13, 12 other candidates secured seats on the Calcasieu Parish School Board without facing an opponent in the November election.
Eight incumbents retained their seats: Mary Fontenot (District 4), Patrick Pichon (District 5), Betty Washington (District 7), Tony O’Banion (District 10), Phyllis Ayo (District 11), Russell Castille (District 12), Desmond Wallace (District 14) and Shawn Baumgarten (District 15).
Four additional candidates won seats previously held by other board members: Ellaweena Woods (District 3), Beth Fraser (District 6), Monica Welch (District 9) and Laura Smith Stanford (District 8).
Together with Brame, those 12 candidates account for the 13 School Board seats decided without a contested election.
