by T. Scott Boatright
Grambling voters overwhelmingly supported the status quo Tuesday night, reelecting Mayor Alvin Bradley by a decisive margin while returning four incumbents to the City Council and electing one newcomer.
Bradley defeated former Mayor Edward R. Jones, receiving 536 votes (65%) to Jones’ 286 votes (35%) to secure another term leading the city. A total of 822 votes were cast in the mayoral race, with unofficial voter turnout reported at 41.2%. All five precincts and early and absentee ballots had been counted.
Bradley did not respond to multiple phone calls and text messages from the Lincoln Parish Journal seeking comment on his reelection.
The race for five seats on Grambling’s City Council was considerably more competitive, with four incumbents retaining their positions and Mary Goree Gipson earning the fifth seat.
Incumbent John F. Brown Jr. led the eight-candidate field with 527 votes (15%), followed closely by fellow incumbents Delores Wilkerson Smith with 517 votes (15%) and DeVaria Hudson Ponton with 504 votes (15%). Incumbent Cathy Holmes secured another term with 465 votes (14%), while Gipson rounded out the five winning candidates with 392 votes (11%).
Incumbent Jerry Lewis fell short of reelection, finishing sixth with 378 votes (11%), just 14 votes behind Gipson for the final council seat. Former Lincoln Parish School Board member David Ferguson finished seventh with 357 votes (10%), while Garnet Wagner I received 289 votes (8%).
Brown expressed his appreciation to Grambling voters for their continued confidence in his leadership.
“I’m delighted that the citizens of Grambling believe in me and know how much I want to serve them,” Brown said. “I am so proud to serve this job and the citizens of Grambling. This is what I am meant to do and meant to be.”
A total of 3,429 votes were recorded in the council race, with unofficial turnout listed at 34.4%.
Tuesday’s results mean Bradley will begin another term with a largely familiar City Council, as four of the five seats will continue to be held by incumbents. Gipson will replace Lewis as the lone new member of the city’s governing body.
