Before a hearing was held Monday afternoon to determine if Eugene Manuel was eligible to run for a seat on the Mamou Town Council, the candidate filed a notice with the Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court to withdraw from the race.
Manuel’s withdrawal; however, was submitted one day after the seven day cutoff for a candidate to remove himself from the election. Therefore, the hearing was still required for Manuel’s name not to appear on the November 6 ballot.
The hearing was originally set to be heard after incumbent Charles Reed filed a Petition for Disqualification and Removal of Candidate last Friday. According to Reed’s attorney Chris Ludeau, the hearing still had to take place because of certain policies and procedures in place at the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.
“If (Manuel) would have withdrawn within a seven day window after qualifying, then there wouldn’t have been a need for a court order; however, since it’s outside that window, then there is a need for a court order authorizing or ordering him to withdraw from the primary election,” said Ludeau.
Judge Gary J. Ortego, during the hearing, interrogated Manuel as to his desires, and Manuel acknowledged that he wished to withdraw as a candidate.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Ortego signed a court order that authorized Manuel to withdraw from the primary election for alderman of District 3 for the Town of Mamou.
Since Manuel has withdrawn from the election, his name will no longer appear on the ballot, and the only candidate now opposing Reed is Glyn Brunet.
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TONY MARKS Associate Editor