The first two days of qualifying ended with four candidates signing up for the race to become New Iberia’s new city marshal.

By the end of Thursday, Dickie Fremin, Brett Lang, Joe LeBlanc and Corey Porter qualified for the Oct. 9 election to fill the open seat.

Each candidate vying for the position has had experience in Iberia Parish law enforcement in some degree, and all are hoping to fill the seat left vacant in April following the resignation of former Marshal Tony Migues.

Fremin served at the New Iberia Police Department from 1978 to 2004, retiring as a patrol captain. He served the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office afterwards, and retired as a patrol captain again in 2020.

After serving 25 years at the NIPD and 16 years at the IPSO, Fremin said Thursday that he thought his law enforcement career was over. However, he said he felt called to take up a law enforcement role once again.

“When you have been a cop as long as I have, it is who you are,” Fremin said Thursday. “I have missed helping people, working daily in our community and having the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.”

“I feel strongly that my unquestionable experience in law enforcement makes me the best qualified for the position,” he added.

Lang, who will be running for the position for the third time, has previously served as a deputy marshal to former Marshal Vic Delcambre. He’s also held positions with the Jeanerette Police Department as a patrol shift supervisor, and has worked within the IPSO as a patrol deputy, human resource background investigator, a detective in the Bureau of Investigations Division and with the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association Task Force.

After qualifying Thursday, Lang said he was planning to tackle the city’s wave of violent crime if elected as marshal.

“I’m here to send a strong message to the bad actors in our city who have been terrorizing our city with gun violence,” he said. “Enough is enough. When I’m elected city marshal, I will not sleep until you’re off our streets.”

LeBlanc was previously employed at the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Romo Romero. During that time, he worked in patrol, criminal and narcotics investigations.

He was also an agent for the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association Drug Task Force, the Blue Lightning Drug Task Force for U.S. Customs and trained in forensic artistry by the 16th Judicial Drug Task Force.

Porter will also be vying for the marshal position for the third time. The former New Iberia Police captain has served the cities of Houston, New Orleans and New Iberia in the past.

Porter said he was hoping to show the voting public that he was the best person for job.

“I’m working to show the voters that I’m the best choice for the job, and I encourage everyone to express their vote so we can help make a difference in the community,” Porter said. “We need a change and I have the qualifications to achieve that.”

Qualifying ends today at 4:30 p.m.