Baton Rouge, LA (8/23/2024) – The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that two candidates for its District 2 seat did not meet the necessary qualifications to remain in the race.
This decision leaves Chief Judge John Michael Guidry of the First Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge as the apparent winner of the November 5th election.
The court determined that neither Leslie Chambers, Chief of Staff for the Louisiana Housing Corp., nor Judge Marcus Hunter of the Second Circuit Court of Appeal in Monroe, provided the required documentation to prove they had filed their income tax returns over the past five years. This ruling significantly impacts the Louisiana Supreme Court District 2 election, leaving only one eligible candidate.
The court’s decision removes Chambers and Hunter from the ballot, narrowing the field to just Judge Guidry. Chambers, through her campaign, expressed her respect for the court’s judgment but stated that she would consult with her legal counsel to explore further options. Meanwhile, Hunter has not yet commented on the ruling.
The lawsuit that led to this decision was filed by Baton Rouge voter Elisa Knowles Collins. The initial trial allowed all three candidates to remain on the ballot, but Collins appealed the decision, leading to this week’s Supreme Court ruling. The Fourth Circuit had previously removed Chambers from the race, and the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld that decision, while also removing Hunter.
The ruling is crucial as the District 2 seat is part of the newly created majority-Black district on the Louisiana Supreme Court, offering minorities the opportunity to hold two of the court’s seven positions.
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