Bradley Wins Second Term as Grambling Mayor
Mayor defeats former Mayor Edward Jones by a wide margin as Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker also wins reelection.
By Lena W. Claybon
GRAMBLING, La. — Grambling Mayor Alvin Bradley secured another four years in office Tuesday, November 3, defeating former Mayor Edward R. Jones by a decisive margin in one of Lincoln Parish’s most closely watched local elections.
Bradley, a Democrat, received 536 votes, or 65 percent, compared to Jones’ 286 votes, or 35 percent. The incumbent mayor won by 250 votes, with all five city precincts reporting. Voter turnout in the mayoral contest was 41.2 percent.
When speaking to the Mayor following his victory, he had this to say, “I’m excited about the victory. I’m excited about the community and where we are going to go from here.” When asked what his plans are for the next four years, he said, “We’re going to pick up where we left off. We have quite a few things left to do and we’re going to move forward in getting them done.”
The election marked a rematch between the city’s two most recent mayors. Bradley first defeated Jones in a four-candidate race in 2022, ending Jones’ three-term tenure as mayor. Tuesday’s victory gives Bradley a second consecutive term leading the city.
Four Incumbents Returned to Grambling City Council
Grambling voters also returned four incumbent City Council members to office, while a possible run-off is pending (as of the publication of this article) between two others.
Incumbent John F. Brown Jr. led the field of eight candidates with 527 votes, followed by Delores Wilkerson Smith with 517 votes, DeVaria Hudson Ponton with 504 votes and Cathy Holmes with 465 votes.
Mary Goree Gipson (392 votes) and Jerry Lewis (378 votes) may be headed to a run-off.
Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker Wins Fourth Term
In neighboring Ruston, Republican Mayor Ronny Walker easily won reelection, defeating challenger William Faulkner, who ran without party affiliation.
Walker received 3,780 votes, or 76 percent, compared to Faulkner’s 1,222 votes, or 24 percent.
The victory gives Walker a fourth term as Ruston’s mayor. First elected in 2014, Walker had been unopposed in his previous two re-election campaigns. Voter turnout in Tuesday’s mayoral race was 44.7 percent.
Lincoln Parish School Board
Three contested School Board races were decided.
- District 2: Sandra Woods won with 302 votes (63 percent), defeating Greta Carter, who received 174 votes (37 percent).
- District 11: Evelyn “Lewis” Cooper won with 465 votes (60 percent), defeating Richard Ray Anderson, who received 161 votes, and Marsha Davis, who received 144 votes.
- District 12: Richard Bates narrowly defeated Aimee L. Blackham, receiving 297 votes (52 percent) to Blackham’s 279 votes (48 percent).
Other Parish and Judicial Races
- Police Jury, District 9: Troy Brooks Sr. won with 404 votes (67 percent), defeating Nakisha Evans with 201 votes (33 percent).
- Ruston City Judge: Mike Smith led with 5,433 votes (41 percent), followed by Addison “Add” Goff with 4,424 votes (33 percent) and Gina Jones with 3,503 votes (26 percent). With no candidate receiving a majority, Smith and Goff are expected to face each other in a runoff.
- Justice of the Peace, Ward 5: Matthew Gaston won with 2,058 votes (73 percent), defeating Terry Frazier, who received 773 votes (27 percent).
