East Baton Rouge Voters Elect First Parishwide Judge in Three Decades
East Baton Rouge Parish voters on Tuesday broke a thirty-year drought by electing their first parishwide judge, a direct result of a major judicial system overhaul orchestrated by state lawmakers. Complete but unofficial returns from Tuesday’s election show Democrat Winston DeCuir Jr. defeating Republican Justin DeLaune by a decisive margin of nearly 2-1 for the Division B seat in the 19th Judicial District Court. This new parishwide post was specifically carved out by the Legislature during a restructuring of local courts designed to reshape the parish’s judicial map.
State lawmakers initiated the redraw to address the parish’s demographic breakdown, shifting the local court system from three judicial subdistricts down to two. The newly contested Division B seat carries a distinct mandate: handling the court’s civil docket. Both DeCuir and DeLaune brought backgrounds in civil law to the contest, though voters ultimately favored DeCuir’s platform by a wide margin as returns rolled in late Tuesday.
Contested Benches and Legislative Remaps Shape Local Results
Beyond the high-profile Division B race, voters across East Baton Rouge also decided matchups to fill vacancies left by retirements and judicial discipline. In Election Section 1, Division L, Democrat Jermaine Guillory secured 53 percent of the vote against fellow Democrat Elzie Alford. Guillory steps in to replace Judge Ronald Johnson, who was forced to retire because he is above age 70. Guillory brings prior experience to the bench, having served as a commissioner in the judicial district court.
Meanwhile, a three-way race for the Division M seat resulted in a win for Democrat Vernon Thomas, who captured 52 percent of the vote. Trailing Thomas were ReAzalia Allen, who pulled in 27 percent, and AJ Sabine with 21 percent. Thomas replaces Tiffany Foxworth-Roberts, whom the state Supreme Court removed from office earlier this year following revelations that she lied about an insurance claim and her military record. Judge Bonnie Jackson has been handling the Division M docket since Foxworth-Roberts was removed.
These outcomes conclude a period of transition for the 19th Judicial District, balancing legislative intervention with voter decisions at the ballot box.
