Acadia Parish, Louisiana

District Judge, 15th Judicial District Court, Election Section 3, Division M

2 candidates are tracked for District Judge, 15th Judicial District Court, Election Section 3, Division M, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: Dyan Schnaars and Susan Theall. Candidate information follows official Acadia Parish election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Dyan Schnaars and Susan Theall are on the November 3, 2026 open primary ballot for this seat on the 15th Judicial District Court, Election Section 3, Division M. Every voter in Acadia Parish, Lafayette Parish, and Vermilion Parish elects this seat, since Louisiana district judges are elected district-wide across the 15th Judicial District (La. R.S. 13:477). Louisiana's open primary elects a candidate outright with a majority of the vote; otherwise the top two finishers meet in a December 12, 2026 runoff. Listed from the Louisiana Secretary of State's official candidate list.

What this office does

Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.

This race. The sitting officeholder, Susan Theall, is on the ballot.

Louisiana › Acadia Parish › District Judge, 15th Judicial District Court, Election Section 3, Division M

Dyan Schnaars

Republican

Biography

Schnaars is the managing attorney and owner of Schnaars Law Firm, LLC in Lafayette, practicing exclusively in family law since 2014, per her firm's website. She earned her business degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and her law degree from Southern University Law Center, and served as president of the Lafayette Parish Bar Association's family law section in 2021. She is challenging the sitting judge for the 15th Judicial District Court, Division M. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.

Susan Theall

Republican Incumbent

Biography

Susan Theall is the sitting Division M district judge on the 15th Judicial District Court, first elected in 2020 after an earlier term from 2011 to 2014 that included service as Chief Judge, per the court's own website. She is a certified Family Law Specialist and a former chair of the Louisiana State Bar Association's Family Law Section.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

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Questions about this race

Who is running for District Judge, 15th Judicial District Court, Election Section 3, Division M in 2026?

When is the District Judge, 15th Judicial District Court, Election Section 3, Division M election in Louisiana?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Louisiana are on the Louisiana election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Acadia Parish ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Acadia Parish and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Louisiana election office, or see the full Acadia Parish sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Acadia Parish ballot

4 tracked races in Acadia Parish, Louisiana. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot

Eunice City Marshal District Judge, 15th Judicial District Court, Election Section 3, Division I See all 4 Acadia Parish races

Candidate profiles

Dyan Schnaars, full profile Susan Theall, full profile Official Louisiana election office