Lisa Addison

Nathan Keller is the new City Marshal for City Court, Lake Charles, after winning a runoff over Jerod Abshire in Saturday’s election.

Keller received 6,467 votes, while Abshire garnered 3,875 votes.

A Democrat, Keller had 63 percent of the votes while Abshire, a Republican, took 37 percent.

Keller, who went to work for the Lake Charles Police Department in 1988, has been a corporal, sergeant, lieutenant and a captain with the department.

He has been named a supervisor of the year, officer of the year and volunteer of the year with LCPD.

Keller has been involved with the Cops & Cribs program as well as Read With Me, a program in which officers go into schools and engage with students.

While campaigning, Keller said he had built his life on service to the community.

Keller said he had earned “the support of both police chiefs under whom he served and of Mayor Nicholas Hunter.”

He has currently been serving as the city of Lake Charles’ community safety liaison.

Keller previously ran for city marshal in 2019.

Sulphur runoff

Brandon Dever is the new City Marshal for City Court, Sulphur, with 2,100 votes over Glenn Berry, who received 1,881 votes.

Both Republicans, Dever had 53 percent of the votes while Berry had 47 percent. Dever is a graduate of Sulphur High School and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in criminal justice from McNeese State University. He also graduated from the Calcasieu Parish Regional Law Enforcement Academy.

He has worked as a patrol officer and detective for the Sulphur Police Department.

Dever won the Medal of Valor while working for Sulphur Police.

While campaigning, Dever said he had the qualifications and character necessary to lead the Marshal’s Office.

“I have expertise in law enforcement, investigations, risk assessment, budgets, conflict management, and negotiations,” Dever said.

Parishwide

Calcasieu voters defeated proposed Constructional Amendment 1 to allow the governor to appoint an out-of-state resident to serve as an at-large member of a public postsecondary education board of supervisors. The measure failed by 81 percent.

Mary “Sister” Fontenot received the most votes in Calcaiseu Parish in the race for Republican State Central Committee over Russell L. Ferguson. Fontenot received 342 votes, or 54 percent, while Ferguson received  296 votes, or 46 percent.Nathan Keller, left, and Brandon Dever

Special to the American Press