Central City Elections

When Jr. Shelton entered the race for Mayor of the City of Central four years ago, nobody gave him much chance.  Although a long-time resident of Central, Shelton was relatively unknown.  Mayor Mac Watts was popular and didn’t appear vulnerable.
But Shelton campaigned hard and began to generate enthusiasm.  He found a powerful issue — the high cost of building permits in Central.  With that issue and a lot of hard work, he battled Watts right down to the wire.
When the results were final, the incumbent mayor squeezed out a 51-49 victory over Shelton.  Shelton only lost by 300 votes against a former principal and coach who had seemed to know everyone.
With his defeat, Jr. Shelton figured his days in politics were over, and he started a new career in real estate. But much has changed in Central, and many people urged Jr. Shelton to give the Mayor’s race one more try.
This time, the mayor is not seeking reelection, and Shelton has found himself the frontrunner for the No. 1 spot in city government in Central.  His only announced opponent is Dave Freneaux.
Qualifying is set for Feb. 12-14 for the offices of Central Mayor, Central Police Chief, and five members of the City Council.  So far, James Salsbury is the only candidate for Chief of Police.
The election is April 5, 2014.
Candidates who are likely to run for one of the five at-large seats on the City Council include the following
• Jason Ellis
• Shane Evans
• Dr. Kim Fralich
• Eric Frank
• Mike Gardner
• Incumbent Councilman Wayne Messina
• Harry Rauls
• John Vance
• Mayor Pro-Tem Ralph Washington
Incumbent Mayor Mac Watts, Police Chief Doug Browning, and Councilmen Louis DeJohn and Dr. Tony LoBue have announced they are not seeking reelection.
Councilman Aaron Moak has not yet revealed his plans.
The Republican Party of East Baton Rouge will hold its Endorsement Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Metro Council.
Any Republican candidate who wishes to be considered for an endorsement should contact Dr. Karla Doucet at karlamdoucet@yahoo.com to get copies of endorsement questionnaires and make an appointment to meet with Parish Executive Committee.