Watch Louis Pomes defeats Wayne Landry in race for St. Bernard Parish President – Latest Politics News

Public works official Louis Pomes defeated former hospital executive Wayne Landry in a runoff Saturday to become St. Bernard Parish’s next president.

With all precincts reporting, Pomes secured 55% of the vote to Landry’s 45%.

The results capped off a competitive months-long race that included hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations. Pomes will take the reins from Guy McInnis, who served two terms as president and was barred by term limits from seeking re-election.

Pomes, 59, chief of operations for the parish’s department of public works, raised more than $100,000 for his campaign, while Landry, 64, a former hospital CEO, gave his campaign a $100,000 loan.

Each candidate said their experience working for the parish or as a former executive made them the best pick for the job. They, along with the race’s two other contestants in last month’s vote, focused their campaigns against the proposal to build a $1.8 billion shipping container facility in Violet.

Though that was the biggest issue in the contest, they each acknowledged as the parish’s chief executive there’s not much they can do to stand in the way of the project, which is being overseen by the state and the Port of New Orleans.

Campaign signs for Pomes, Landry and parish council member Kerri Callais, who also raised more than $100,000, dotted the parish in the weeks leading up to last month’s election. Callais received 20% of the vote in October, while Emile Pellittieri received 3%.