See who's still in the running, who's out after court challenges in October elections

Legal challenges this week booted candidates for City Council and for Orleans Parish Assessor from the fall ballot, while candidates for Orleans Parish Criminal Court Clerk, another City Council contender and a state House District 102 candidate successfully defended their right to seek office.

Tax issues disqualified City Council at-large candidate David Gregory Nowak and Orleans Assessor candidate Gregory Lirette. But Patricia Boyd-Robertson and Darren Lombard, two contenders for Criminal Court Clerk, may remain on the Oct. 9 ballot despite missing campaign finance reports, judges ruled. 

State House District 102 candidate Jordan Bridges and City Council District C candidate Freddie King III are also still in the running after challenges against them were settled and dismissed, respectively. 

Orleans Parish Civil District Court is usually a busy scene right after the three-day qualifying period closes for each election cycle, as candidates are often forced to defend their right to run for the office they seek.

Candidates who face legal challenges are typically accused of violating a series of rules applicable to would-be public servants, including a requirement that they file federal and state taxes in each of the five years preceding their candidacy and that they live in the district they want to represent.

A district-level candidate's eligibility may be contested by any resident of that district. A candidate running for a citywide office may see their eligibility challenged by any New Orleans resident. 

As no major challengers have emerged for Mayor LaToya Cantrell, the races to watch this fall will be for City Council, the Assessor's office, Orleans Parish Sheriff and the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court clerk. Orleans Coroner Dwight McKenna and Civil District Court Clerk Chelsey Richard Napoleon were reelected after qualifying without opposition.

At least two cases Monday and Tuesday, against Boyd-Robertson and Lombard, will be appealed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal, said attorney Thomas Robichaux, who is representing challengers Anne Kiefer and Tina Ellsworth-Fletcher. 

Lombard, currently Clerk of 2nd City Court, admitted Monday that he had not filed a campaign finance report in 2019 with the state Ethics Board, despite attesting on his qualifying paperwork that he had filed all required reports.

However, Judge Kern Reese ruled that is not sufficient grounds to disqualify him. Lombard's attorney Kenny Bordes praised the ruling and dismissed the legal challenge as an "aha, gotcha thing." 

"It's kind of getting too far of left field when you have political operatives saying, 'Now we can challenge your candidacy for this small thing,'" Bordes said.

But Robichaux said candidates shouldn't be allowed to make false claims. "If candidates can lie about all the other items, except for fines and taxes, what’s the point in having them swear to all of those things?" he said. 

Runoffs for the Oct. 9 races, if needed, will be Nov. 13. 

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