Welcome to the third and final qualifying day for the 2015 fall elections. Here are the live blogs of the first and second days.

By 4:30 PM today, if you want to be on the ballot in October, you must pay your money or turn in your signatures to the Secretary of State’s office and/or your parish Clerk of Court’s office. After 4:30 PM, you’re out of luck. Today, we will know who is running for what.

Today will probably be the most hectic day, especially towards the afternoon. As it stands now, every state office has at least one person qualify for it.

5:29 PM: We got this in from Julie Emerson

Carencro — Republican Julie Emerson released the following statement on officially qualifying for House District 39 this morning:

“I believe our community needs representation that fits the values of the 39th district. Reflecting these values means embracing the real concerns of working families, small businesses and our treasured seniors. People are fed up with politicians who vote based strictly on partisanship or personal agendas, forgetting those they represent back home.

My campaign is about actually spending one-on-one time listening to those whom I seek to represent whether on the phone, in public or at their doors. We have been to over 15,000 doors and made over 10,000 calls. I have the unique perspective that can only come from shaking their hands, looking them in the eye, listening to their opinions, and answering their questions.

‘A voice for our values’ isn’t just a slogan for me, it’s a road-map for how to be an effective Representative for District 39. Incumbent Democrat Ortego has either lost touch with those he is supposed to represent or he’s chosen his own path in spite of their concerns. Neither of which is acceptable, and it’s time for a Representative who will promote and vote the values of our community.

By officially qualifying to run for the Louisiana House, we take one more step toward giving a strong voice to the values of the 39th district.”

3:14 PM: Baton Rouge Metro Councilman Ryan Heck has finally qualified for the House District 69 race.

3:07 PM: Senate District 9 has now officially become a circus. State Rep. John LaBruzzo (R-Metairie) is now challenging Conrad Appel for reelection.

2:47 PM: Tony Davis, the President of the Nachitoches Chamber of Commerce, has entered the race for BESE District 4. It is expected Davis will be a supporter of education reform.

2:33 PM: State Rep. Chris Broadwater (R-Hammond) has drawn an opponent. Republican Larry Watts qualified to run against him in District 86.

2:25 PM: Senate District 7 is getting pretty crowded. Joining Democrats State Rep. Jeff Arnold, former New Orleans City Councilman Troy Carter, Orleans Parish School Board member Leslie Ellison, is Democrat engineer Roy A. Glapion and Republican Troy Gainey.

2:23 PM: BESE District 6 just got interesting. Former Jefferson Parish School Board member Etta Licciardi just qualified for the race as a Republican. Apparently she moved to Loranger.

1:14 PM: State Rep. Ledricka Theirry (D-Opelousas) is running for the State Senate this year. Her open seat in District 40 has seen 7 people, all Democrats, qualify for it.

1:08 PM: State Rep. Nancy Landry (R-Lafayette) has a challenger. Democrat Evan Wright just qualified in District 31.

12:50 PM: Returning to statewide offices. The last few hours are when no names come out of the woodwork to run for everything from governor. In just the past 20 minutes, we’ve seen the following qualify:

• Eric Paul Orgeron for Governor. He’s from Metairie and registered under “other.” What were able to learn about him is that he likes to invent things and he has a politically related non-profit.
• Jamie LaBranche for Ag Commissioner. He’s a Republican from LaPlace. However, he ran for this post last year as a Democrat.
• Donald Hodge Jr. for Insurance Commissioner. He’s a Democrat from Baton Rouge. He also ran for this job last year.

12:43 PM: Shifting gears and heading over to Lafayette Parish. Term-limited State Rep. Joel Robideaux (R-Lafayette) is running for City-Parish President. Robideaux was one of the architects of the $700 million tax increases that were passed in the past session. Robideaux has an opponent, Republican Dee Stanley.

12:36 PM: A Democrat (other than Buddy Caldwell) has entered the Attorney General’s race. Garyville attorney Geri Broussard Baloney is in. However, her PR team might want to work on some basics, such as spelling and grammar in their e-mails. I got this e-mail not once, but twice from her spokesman.

 

Does anyone over at the Brylski company proofread these e-mails?

12:34 PM: State Rep. Nick Lorusso (R-New Orleans) draws a challenger in District 94, Republican real estate agent Stephanie Hilferty.

12:27 PM: While we were gone, we just had former Congressman Vance McCallister qualify to run against State Sen. Mike Wadsworth (R-West Monroe) in District 33. McCallister was caught making out with an intern in an elevator and he was beaten for reelection.

10:24 AM: File this under hmm……joining Scott McKnight and State Sen. Dan Claitor in the Senate District 16 race will be a doctor by the name of Brent Campanella. He filed under “other” party affiliation.

10:05 AM: One thing we’re noticing, conservative anger towards incumbents just isn’t materializing outside of metro Baton Rouge. For example, State Reps Lance Harris and Jay Morris in North Louisiana were strong advocates of raising taxes this past session. Neither one has a challenger as of now. In fact, it is the more conservative members of the Legislature who drew challengers such as Lenar Whitney and Ray Garofalo.

Meanwhile more moderate Republicans in metro Baton Rouge got challengers. State Rep. Darrell Ourso got a bunch. State Rep. Steve Carter got one. Over on the State Senate, Dale Erdey in Livingston Parish got one as did Dan Claitor.

9:52 AM: We have another Democrat vs Republican race in the State House. House District 60 is an open Democrat seat being vacated by term-limited State Rep. Karen St. Germain. Democrat Chad Brown is going to take on Republican Mike Latino in that race.

9:46 AM: Now things are starting to heat up. One of the most anticipated races of the election has finally materialized. Democrat State Rep. Stephen Ortego qualified yesterday for reelection in District 39. His opponent, Republican Julie Emerson just qualified today to take him on.

9:38 AM: Quiet morning so far on the state offices. Just one candidate has qualified. Gwendolyn Bordenave qualified in BESE District 2 to take on Kira Jones. Bordenave works for Delgado Community College and sits on the New Orleans Neighborhood Conservation District Advisory Committee.