Charlene Day Credits Victory to Grassroots Campaign

March 13, 2011 0 Comments

By Woody Jenkins

CENTRAL — Central attorney Charlene Charlet Day credited her victory for Family Court Judge to hard work and a grassroots’ campaign. Day defeated State Rep. Hunter Greene 5,617 to 5,462 in a special election Saturday. About 200 of her supporters gathered at Kristenwood in Central Saturday night to watch the returns.

Day gave special thanks to voters in Central and Zachary who provided her winning margin.

“I’m very thankful for everyone who came out and voted. We ran a positive, grassroots campaign and walked door to door. Our message was 32 years’ of valuable experience in working with children and families as a teacher and then as an attorney,” she said.

Her opponent, Rep. Hunter Greene, was much better known and led during early returns Saturday night.

Judge-elect Day’s husband Scooter was active in the campaign and worked hard on yard signs. The campaign had more yard signs in Central than virtually any campaign in recent memory.

But signs don’t necessarily translate into votes. “We were working the phones right up until 7:45 p.m. last night,” Judge-elect Day said. “We were hearing reports of very low voter turnout. We were wondering, ‘Where are our voters?'”

When the results started coming in, Day was behind by as much as 1,400 votes. Her supporters at Kristenwood were worried. Then her vote totals surged at the end.

Scooter Day said, “Apparently, the precincts in South Baton Rouge turned in their votes first, because they were closer to the Clerk of Court’s office. The precincts in Central and Zachary were farther away, and the last to come in.”

The Days have lived in Central most of their lives, but Charlene Day’s law practice is in Zachary, and she is well known there.

Rep. Greene is a popular Baton Rouge state representative, who serves as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, one of the most powerful spots in the legislature. Most of the pundits expected him to win. But the problem for both candidates was how to get voters to the polls, in view of the fact that little else was on the ballot. Ultimately, Central voters turned out in a higher percentage than South Baton Rouge voters, and they broke strongly for Day.

Of the 113,000 registered voters in the Family Court district, about 11,000 voted, a 10 percent turnout.

Day will replace Judge Toni Higginbotham, who was elected to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal. The unexpired term is for three years. Day will be up for reelection in the fall of 2014.

The district includes Zachary, Central, Pride, Cheneyville and a large portion of Baton Rouge.

Day received 50.70 percent, and Greene received 49.30 percent. The judge-elect said Rep. Greene called to congratulate her and was very gracious.

For precinct returns, click here.

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Here are highlights of the two candidates’ qualifications:

HUNTER GREENE
State Rep. Hunter Greene has practiced law for the past 16 years and has focused his practice on family law for 13 of those years. He has served countless families through his practice. Hunter Greene was elected state representative in 2005 in a special election and was re-elected to the seat in 2007 without opposition. Greene was appointed chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee which is responsible for the state’s capital outlay budget and all tax matters. By virtue of his chairmanship, Greene also serves on the State Bond Commission, Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, Joint Legislative Committee on Capital Outlay, and House Executive Committee. He is an active member of the Capital Region Legislative Delegation and the Republican Legislative Delegation.

As one of only a few family law attorneys in the Legislature, Greene is often looked to as an expert resource on proposed changes to family law. Since being elected in the House, Greene has worked on a number of legislative instruments relative to protecting children and families. Hunter Greene is a graduate of LSU and Southern University Law School. He has been married to Emily Aaron Greene for 19 years. They have three children: Ashley, 17; Matthew, 15, and Lauren, 13, who attend St. Joseph’s Academy, Catholic High School, and St. Thomas More, respectively. The Greene family is active at St. Thomas More Catholic Church.

CHARLENE CHARLET DAY
Central City resident and long-time family law practitioner, Charlene Charlet Day, received her Bachelor of Science and her Master of Education from LSU and taught school for 16 years. In 1988, she was named Teacher of the Year at Northwestern Middle School and was a finalist for Teacher of the Year in East Baton Rouge Parish.

In 1994, Day earned her law degree from LSU, and after a one-year judicial clerkship, she began her career as a family law practitioner with the firm of Myles, Cook & Day in Zachary. During her legal career, she has served over 700 clients in family law matters.

Charlene Charlet Day has been married for 29 years to Archie T. “Scooter” Day, Jr., and they have lived in Central their entire married life. She has two daughters, Michele Maddie and Brooke Felps. She also has one granddaughter, Kristian.

Day is a member of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church and St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. She has served as a CCD teacher at St. Alphonsus Ligouri Catholic Church and St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

She is a member of the Louisiana, Baton Rouge, and Feliciana Bar Associations, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, BRACA, Professional Women of Zachary, Republican Women of Central, and Capital City Republican Women. She said, “As a teacher…a mother…a grandmother…and an experienced family law practitioner, I am ready to undertake this extraordinary responsibility.”