Judge Allows All Three Candidates to Continue in Louisiana Supreme Court Race
Although the ruling allows all three candidates to continue their campaigns, the plaintiff's attorneys have indicated plans to appeal the decision.
BATON ROUGE, La. — All three candidates for Louisiana's new minority-majority Supreme Court seat will remain in the race, following a ruling by Judge Don Johnson of the 19th Judicial District Court on Tuesday. The decision came after a district court hearing centered on allegations regarding the timely filing of state income taxes and residency requirements.
Candidates Leslie Chambers and Marcus Hunter faced challenges over claims that they had not filed state income taxes as required and did not meet residency requirements for the district. According to court documents, Hunter is accused of failing to file state income taxes for three of the past five years, a violation of state law for candidates. Meanwhile, Chambers, currently Chief of Staff at the Louisiana Housing Corporation, admitted in court that she had been living in Ascension Parish, which is not within the district for the seat. Property records from the Ascension Assessor's Office confirm her residency, showing her name associated with a property where she claims a homestead exemption.
Despite these challenges, Judge Johnson ruled that both Chambers and Hunter were eligible to remain in the race, joining John-Michael Guidry as candidates. The ruling followed arguments presented in court and the testimony of the parties involved. Notably, the lawsuit was brought forward by the mother of one of Guidry's employees, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.
Although the ruling allows all three candidates to continue their campaigns, the plaintiff's attorneys have indicated plans to appeal the decision. The upcoming appeal could further impact the race as the candidates continue their bids for the newly established Supreme Court seat.
