Bids for office face challenges

• By BOB ANDERSON
• Advocate Florida parishes bureau
• Published: Jul 15, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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LIVINGSTON — Legal challenges were filed against two candidates, including the incumbent mayor of Walker, in separate races Monday.

Walker Mayor Travis Clark didn’t show up to qualify for re-election until a few minutes after the 5 p.m. deadline Friday, reporting that he got caught in traffic, Clerk of Court Tom Sullivan said when questioned Monday morning about the situation.

Bobby Font Jr., the only other candidate in that race, filed a petition asking that Clark’s name be stricken from the ballot.

A separate suit asks that Carl Martin’s name be removed from the ballot for marshal of Ward 2 City Court in Denham Springs.

Martin, who serves as chief deputy marshal, is one of three candidates for marshal in a race in which the incumbent has decided to retire.

The other candidates for the marshal post are Kerry Carpenter and Jerry L. Denton Jr.

The petition filed by Denham Springs voter Charles Brou alleges that Martin does not meet a requirement that the marshal have a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Martin has served in the marshal’s office for 26 years and has been chief deputy for the 16 years Steve Achord has been marshal.
City Court Ward 2 takes in all of the city of Denham Springs and large unincorporated areas north and south of the city limits. The City Marshal’s Office has seven deputies.

Clark was appointed interim mayor of Walker for an 11-month term in January of 2004 after Mike Grimmer resigned the post to become Livingston Parish president.

Voters subsequently elected Clark to a four-year term.

On Friday afternoon, Clark showed up just minutes after the 5 p.m. deadline for qualifying, Sullivan said after the petition was filed Monday morning.

The clerk said he informed Clark it appeared he had arrived past the legal qualifying time and that Clark told him he was delayed by a wreck that backed up traffic.

Sullivan said he called the Secretary of State’s Office, which advised Sullivan to make the call on how to handle the matter.