Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education election, 2027

	← 2026
Louisiana State Board of Education
Election details
	Filing deadline: Pending
	Primary: Pending; Primary runoff: Pending; General: October 9, 2027
How to vote
	Poll times: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Voting in Louisiana
Ballotpedia analysis
	Federal and state primary competitiveness; State executive elections in 2027; Impact of term limits in 2027; State government trifectas; State government triplexes; Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2027
Louisiana; executive elections
	Governor; Lieutenant Governor; Attorney General; Secretary of State; Treasurer; Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry; Commissioner of Insurance; Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (8 seats)

Louisiana is holding an election for eight seats on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on October 9, 2027.

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

District 1

Beginning in the 2026 elections, Louisiana elections for U.S. Congress, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education use a closed partisan primary and primary runoff system. Candidates for those offices no longer run in majority-vote system primaries.

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 2

Beginning in the 2026 elections, Louisiana elections for U.S. Congress, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education use a closed partisan primary and primary runoff system. Candidates for those offices no longer run in majority-vote system primaries.

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 3

Beginning in the 2026 elections, Louisiana elections for U.S. Congress, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education use a closed partisan primary and primary runoff system. Candidates for those offices no longer run in majority-vote system primaries.

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 4

Beginning in the 2026 elections, Louisiana elections for U.S. Congress, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education use a closed partisan primary and primary runoff system. Candidates for those offices no longer run in majority-vote system primaries.

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 5

Beginning in the 2026 elections, Louisiana elections for U.S. Congress, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education use a closed partisan primary and primary runoff system. Candidates for those offices no longer run in majority-vote system primaries.

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 6

Beginning in the 2026 elections, Louisiana elections for U.S. Congress, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education use a closed partisan primary and primary runoff system. Candidates for those offices no longer run in majority-vote system primaries.

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 7

Beginning in the 2026 elections, Louisiana elections for U.S. Congress, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education use a closed partisan primary and primary runoff system. Candidates for those offices no longer run in majority-vote system primaries.

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 8

Beginning in the 2026 elections, Louisiana elections for U.S. Congress, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education use a closed partisan primary and primary runoff system. Candidates for those offices no longer run in majority-vote system primaries.

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Louisiana

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Past elections

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1

Beginning in the 2026 elections, Louisiana elections for U.S. Congress, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education use a closed partisan primary and primary runoff system. Candidates for those offices no longer run in majority-vote system primaries.

General election

The primary will occur on May 16, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Special general election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1

Angela Hershey (D) is running in the special general election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Angela Hershey (D)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for May 16, 2026, was canceled. Angela Hershey (D) advanced from the special Democratic primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

Special Republican primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1

Joseph Cao (R), Michael Hollis (R), and Ellie Schroder (R) are running in the special Republican primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1 on May 16, 2026.

		Candidate
		Joseph Cao
	Submit photo	Michael Hollis
	Submit photo	Ellie Schroder

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1

General election

The general election scheduled for November 18, 2023, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1

Paul Hollis (R) won election outright against Lauren Jewett (D) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1 on October 14, 2023.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Paul Hollis (R)	71.0	91,633
	Lauren Jewett (D)	29.0	37,385

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 129,018
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 2

General election

The general election scheduled for November 18, 2023, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for October 14, 2023, was canceled. Sharon Latten Clark (D) won election in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 2 without appearing on the ballot.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Eric Jones (D)

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 3

General election

The general election scheduled for November 18, 2023, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for October 14, 2023, was canceled. Incumbent Sandy Holloway (R) won election in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 3 without appearing on the ballot.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4

General election

General election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4

Stacey Melerine (R) defeated Emma Shepard (D) in the general election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4 on November 18, 2023.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Stacey Melerine (R)	62.3	56,792
	Emma Shepard (D)	37.7	34,365

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 91,157
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4

Stacey Melerine (R) and Emma Shepard (D) defeated Paige Hoffpauir (R) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4 on October 14, 2023.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Stacey Melerine (R)	47.0	55,297
✔	Emma Shepard (D)	30.5	35,850
	Paige Hoffpauir (R)	22.5	26,477

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 117,624
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 5

General election

The general election scheduled for November 18, 2023, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 5

Lance Harris (R) won election outright against Toby Brazzel (R) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 5 on October 14, 2023.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Lance Harris (R)	67.5	83,490
	Toby Brazzel (R)	32.5	40,264

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 123,754
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 6

General election

The general election scheduled for November 18, 2023, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 6

Incumbent Ronnie Morris (R) won election outright against Jodi Rollins (R) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 6 on October 14, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Ronnie Morris (R)	69.3	89,479
		Jodi Rollins (R)	30.7	39,713

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 129,192
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 7

General election

General election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 7

Kevin Berken (R) defeated Erick Knezek (R) in the general election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 7 on November 18, 2023.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kevin Berken (R)	53.1	49,776
	Erick Knezek (R)	46.9	44,047

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 93,823
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 7

Kevin Berken (R) and Erick Knezek (R) defeated Cathy S. Banks (R) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 7 on October 14, 2023.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kevin Berken (R)	36.8	47,861
✔	Erick Knezek (R)	34.2	44,534
	Cathy S. Banks (R)	29.0	37,654

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 130,049
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 8

General election

The general election scheduled for November 18, 2023, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 8

Incumbent Preston Castille (D) won election outright against Dolores Cormier-Zenon (D) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 8 on October 14, 2023.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Preston Castille (D)	70.2	78,436
	Dolores Cormier-Zenon (D)	29.8	33,230

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 111,666
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

Special general election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4

Michael Melerine (R) defeated Cassie Williams (D) in the special general election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4 on April 24, 2021.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Michael Melerine (R)	61.8	23,541
	Cassie Williams (D)	38.2	14,546

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 38,087
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary

Special Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4

Cassie Williams (D) and Michael Melerine (R) defeated Shelly McFarland (R), John Milkovich (Independent), and Cody Whitaker (Independent) in the special primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4 on March 20, 2021.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Cassie Williams (D)	29.3	10,768
✔	Michael Melerine (R)	28.2	10,361
	Shelly McFarland (R)	22.4	8,251
	John Milkovich (Independent)	15.9	5,844
	Cody Whitaker (Independent)	4.2	1,555

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,779
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Emma Shepard (D)

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1

General election

The general election scheduled for November 16, 2019, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1

Incumbent James D. Garvey Jr. (R) won election outright against Marion Bonura (Independent) and Lee Price-Barrios (R) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1 on October 12, 2019.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	James D. Garvey Jr. (R)	59.9	92,677
	Marion Bonura (Independent)	24.6	38,079
	Lee Price-Barrios (R)	15.5	24,003

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 154,759
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 2

General election

The general election scheduled for November 16, 2019, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 2

Incumbent Kira Orange Jones (D) won election outright against Shawon Bernard (D) and Ashonta Wyatt (D) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 2 on October 12, 2019.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Kira Orange Jones (D)	61.0	81,088
	Shawon Bernard (D)	21.5	28,593
	Ashonta Wyatt (D)	17.5	23,237

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 132,918
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 3

General election

The general election scheduled for November 16, 2019, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 3

Incumbent Sandy Holloway (R) won election outright against Janice Perea (R) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 3 on October 12, 2019.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Sandy Holloway (R)	76.7	105,596
	Janice Perea (R)	23.3	32,152

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 137,748
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4

General election

The general election scheduled for November 16, 2019, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4

Incumbent Tony Davis (R) won election outright in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4 on October 12, 2019.

		Candidate
✔		Tony Davis (R)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 5

General election

The general election scheduled for November 16, 2019, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 5

Ashley Ellis (R) won election outright against Stephen Chapman (R) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 5 on October 12, 2019.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Ashley Ellis (R)	62.0	96,476
	Stephen Chapman (R)	38.0	59,039

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 155,515
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 6

General election

General election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 6

Ronnie Morris (R) defeated Gregory Spiers (R) in the general election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 6 on November 16, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Ronnie Morris (R)	71.9	136,091
	Submit photo	Gregory Spiers (R)	28.1	53,093

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 189,184 (100% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 6

Ronnie Morris (R) and Gregory Spiers (R) defeated Ciara Hart (D) and Vickie Tolliver Auguste (Independent) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 6 on October 12, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Ronnie Morris (R)	48.8	88,362
✔	Submit photo	Gregory Spiers (R)	22.0	39,894
	Submit photo	Ciara Hart (D)	21.5	38,917
		Vickie Tolliver Auguste (Independent)	7.7	13,869

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 181,042
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 7

General election

The general election scheduled for November 16, 2019, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 7

Incumbent Holly Boffy (R) won election outright against Timala Melancon (Independent) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 7 on October 12, 2019.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Holly Boffy (R)	62.4	104,534
	Timala Melancon (Independent)	37.6	62,915

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 167,449
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 8

General election

The general election scheduled for November 16, 2019, was canceled.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 8

Preston Castille (D) won election outright against Vereta Lee (D), Chakesha Webb Scott (D), and Jonathan Loveall (D) in the primary for Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 8 on October 12, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Preston Castille (D)	52.1	71,616
		Vereta Lee (D)	18.0	24,739
	Submit photo	Chakesha Webb Scott (D)	16.1	22,214
		Jonathan Loveall (D)	13.8	18,999

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 137,568
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

External links

Footnotes

Louisiana	State Executive Elections	News and Analysis

Louisiana State Executive Offices Louisiana State Legislature Louisiana Courts	2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Louisiana elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016	Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors

	v • e State of Louisiana Baton Rouge (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2026 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy