School Board member Raymond "Shoe-Do" Lewis qualifies for another term in office at the Iberia Parish Clerk of Court's Office while clerk Wess Robison presents the necessary paperwork. 

Qualifying for the Nov. 8 election ended Friday with several names being thrown in the ring for federal, state and local political offices.

By noon Friday, 12 people had qualified for the open U.S. Senate office including incumbent for the seat Sen. John Kennedy.

The U.S. Representative seat for District 3 currently occupied by Rep. Clay Higgins had eight names on the ballot, including Higgins himself who waited until the last day to qualify for another run for the seat.

Higgins will face Holden Hoggatt, Tia LeBrun, Guy McLendon, Thomas “Lane” Payne Jr., Lessie Leblanc, Gloria Wiggins and Jacob “Jake” Shaheen. None of the candidates apart from Wiggins, a Franklin resident, is from the Teche Area.

In Iberia Parish elections, the 14 seats that occupy the Iberia Parish School Board were all open for anyone to run during the qualifying period that started Wednesday and ended Friday. 

Eight of the 14 will get re-elected outright due to facing no opposition within their districts. As a result, six districts will head to the ballot for the November election.

That includes District 2, where Elvin “Dee” Pradia will be facing Whiland Williams for the position, as well as District 3 where Jay McDonald will be facing Ragen Borel.

District 6 board member Mike Mayeux will be running for re-election against Paul Jordan, who is running for the position as well.

In District, 7, board member Dan LeBlanc has a challenger in Randy Boudreaux.

District 10 board member Rachel Segura will be facing two challengers in Joshua Trosclair and Suzette Charpentier, who both signed up Friday to run during the qualifying period.

Finally, incumbent Kenric “Mushy” Fremin for District 14 will have competition for the seat during the November election. Rachael Toups qualified Friday for the district seat on the school board.

In St. Mary Parish, the town of Baldwin will also be having a mayoral election on Nov. 8. Three candidates signed their names up during the qualifying period to run for the seat, including Mayor Pro Tem Herbert Bell, Kayron Caesar and Clarence Vappie. Mayor Abel Prejean did not qualify by noon Friday.

Another three Baldwin residents qualified for the chief of police position, which will also be up for grabs in November. Tony Derouen, Ronnie Fuselier and Anthony “Gip” Gibson will be running campaigns for the police chief position.

For the Baldwin Board of Aldermen, seven candidates filed for candidacy to serve on the board, which does not have districts. The seven include Margaret Coleman, Ajani Connor, Tony Gibson, Dawn Lanceslin, Everett Logeman, Marion Newton and Amber Tillman.