Kim Landry won the only contested race in the 23rd Judicial District Court, which covers Ascension, Assumption, and St. James parishes, beating two-time incumbent Jason Verdigets.
Landry, 58, took the Division A seat earning 53% of the votes.
Landry will be the second new judge on the bench along with Rob Snyder, who challenged incumbent Judge Steven Tureau's candidacy over tax filings, and the Louisiana Supreme Court ultimately disqualified Tureau from the race.
In all other divisions, incumbents were the only candidates to qualify.
Landry, a registered Republican, previously ran for Ascension Parish judge in 2018 when the sitting judge retired. Although she didn’t win, she said she is giving it another shot because the role has been a “goal in life.”
Landry said if elected, she would prioritize more time to criminal cases, giving opportunities for those cases to move quicker.
Landry is a mom of two, originally from Baton Rouge. She graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy in 1986 and earned her undergraduate degree from Ĵý in 1990 and received her law degree from Southern University Law Center in 1996.
She has been married for 35 years and has two children. Landry said she has lived in Ascension Parish for about 25 years, since purchasing office space there.