Lafayette Parish Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
11 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 5 Lafayette Parish races, led by the 15th Judicial District Court, Division I contest.
County offices
District Attorney, 15th Judicial DistrictKristian Earles (R) · Donald "Don" Landry (R)
Kristian Earles (Republican) and Donald "Don" Landry (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for District Attorney, 15th Judicial District.
Kristian Earles Republican
- Says restoring trust and accountability to the DA's office is central to his campaign
- Pledges to prosecute cases efficiently and fairly while maintaining high ethical standards in office operations
Per the campaign site.
About Kristian Earles
Kristian Earles is a Republican candidate for District Attorney of the 15th Judicial District, which covers Acadia, Lafayette and Vermilion parishes. He retired after 23 years as a district judge in the 15th Judicial District and previously spent 6 years in law enforcement and 7 years in private practice, per his campaign site.
Donald "Don" Landry Republican
- Pledges to personally be present in Acadia, Lafayette, and Vermilion parishes to work with law enforcement personnel
- Wants to make sure prosecutors and staff have the resources needed to do their jobs
- Says he will make victims a priority and apply the law firmly but fairly
Per the campaign site.
About Donald "Don" Landry
Donald "Don" Landry is the Republican incumbent District Attorney for the 15th Judicial District, serving Acadia, Lafayette and Vermilion parishes, per the office's official website.
The 15th Judicial District covers Acadia, Lafayette and Vermilion parishes; this race appears on the Lafayette Parish ballot, per the Acadiana Advocate. This contest is on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Full race pageSchool board
Parish School Board, District 2Robert "Ted" Davidson (R) · Stasia Herbert-McZeal (D)
Robert "Ted" Davidson (Republican) and Stasia Herbert-McZeal (Democratic) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lafayette Parish School Board, District 2.
Robert "Ted" Davidson Republican
Robert "Ted" Davidson is a Republican candidate for Lafayette Parish School Board, District 2. He is a retired educator who spent 36 years at Acadiana High School as a teacher, track coach and football coach before retiring in 2018, and has lived in Carencro for 35 years, per the Acadiana Advocate. The school board appointed him interim District 2 representative on April 15, 2026 pending this special election, per the same report. No campaign website was found as of September 9, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Robert "Ted" Davidson.
Stasia Herbert-McZeal Democratic
Stasia Herbert-McZeal is a Democratic candidate for Lafayette Parish School Board, District 2. She is the director of distance education at South Louisiana Community College, per a 2019 Acadiana Advocate profile from a prior District 2 campaign. She previously ran for the District 2 seat in 2023, losing to then-incumbent Chad Desormeaux. No campaign website was found as of September 9, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Stasia Herbert-McZeal.
Special election to permanently fill the seat vacated by Chad Desormeaux's resignation; the board appointed Robert 'Ted' Davidson as interim representative on April 15, 2026 pending this election. District 2 covers Lafayette Parish north of Gloria Switch Road, including Carencro, per the Acadiana Advocate. This contest is on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Full race pageJudges
15th Judicial District Court, Division I"Will" Keaty II (R) · David Way (R)
"Will" Keaty II (Republican) and David Way (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for 15th Judicial District Court, Division I.
"Will" Keaty II Republican
- Says Lafayette deserves a district judge who knows the community as a neighbor and parent, not just as a candidate
- Cites active civic and family involvement, including raising four children in Lafayette schools and participating with the Knights of Columbus since 2021
Per the campaign site.
About "Will" Keaty II
"Will" Keaty II is a Republican candidate for 15th Judicial District Court, Division I. He has 14 years of experience in Lafayette's legal community, including private practice, service as a justice of the peace, and work as a prosecutor handling felony cases for the 15th JDC District Attorney's Office, per his campaign site. He is a Broussard resident and Lafayette Parish native, per his campaign site.
David Way Republican
- Emphasizes courtroom experience as a qualification for the bench
- Emphasizes integrity as a core value
- Says he will be tough on crime
Per the campaign site.
About David Way
David Way is a Lafayette attorney in his 30th year of practice, a partner at Oliver & Way LLC, and the Magistrate Judge for the City of Youngsville, per his campaign site. Per the same site, he is a past president of the Duhe Inn of Court and of the Lafayette Young Lawyers Association and was named a Top Lawyer by Acadiana Profile magazine.
Open seat to replace retiring Judge Marilyn Castle. Both candidates are Republicans, per the Acadiana Advocate's Nov. 3 ballot rundown and a BY Local News report on Way's campaign kickoff. This contest is on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Full race page15th Judicial District Court, Division MDyan Schnaars (R) · Susan Theall (R)
Dyan Schnaars Republican
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
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.
Challenger Dyan Schnaars is running against sitting Division M judge and 15th JDC Chief Judge Susan Theall, per the Acadiana Advocate's Nov. 3 ballot rundown. This contest is on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Full race pageCity Court Judge, Division BRyan Harris (R) · James Klock (R) · Emilia Pardo (R)
Ryan Harris (Republican), James Klock (Republican) and Emilia Pardo (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Lafayette City Court Judge, Division B.
Ryan Harris Republican
- Says he would bring fairness and professionalism to the bench
- Promotes community-minded leadership, describing himself as accountable and accessible to constituents
Per the campaign site.
About Ryan Harris
Ryan Harris is a Republican candidate for Lafayette City Court Judge, Division B. He is a Lafayette attorney who has worked as both a private attorney and a public defender, representing clients in OWI, civil, traffic and misdemeanor cases, per his campaign site. He has served as Contract Public Defender for Lafayette City Court since July 2025, per his campaign site.
James Klock Republican
Klock is an Assistant District Attorney and felony supervisor at the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Office in Lafayette Parish, prosecuting felony cases including domestic abuse, crimes of violence, sex offenses, and property crimes, per the campaign site. He has also worked as a federal public defender and in private practice covering criminal defense, family law, and immigration, and teaches business law as an adjunct instructor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, per the campaign site. He holds a law degree and a master's in finance from LSU, per the campaign site.
Emilia Pardo Republican
- Says she wants the court to have a reputation for efficiency, fairness, respect for the bench and kindness
- Wants to explore better legal approaches for people with mental health issues who cycle through the court system
Per the per a Covenant Spotlight candidate profile.
About Emilia Pardo
Emilia Pardo is a Republican candidate for Lafayette City Court Judge, Division B. She is an Assistant District Attorney with 16 years of prosecutorial experience, primarily in domestic violence and family-related offenses, per a Covenant Spotlight candidate profile. She has served as a magistrate in Scott City Court since 2025, per the same profile. No campaign website was found as of September 9, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Emilia Pardo.
Open seat; elected by City of Lafayette voters within the parish. Division A (Roya Boustany) was unopposed and does not appear on the ballot. Three candidates qualified, per the Acadiana Advocate.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
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Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Louisiana uses an open ("jungle") primary: every qualified candidate for a seat, regardless of party, appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot together, and a candidate who wins an outright majority is elected; otherwise the top two finishers meet in a December 12, 2026 general election. Unopposed candidates do not print. Louisiana's congressional map was redrawn for 2026 after the U.S. Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision struck down the prior map, per the Secretary of State's candidate list.
Who is on the ballot in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana on November 3, 2026?
Lafayette Parish sample ballot 2026: see where the Lafayette city court judge and 15th judicial candidates stand on public safety and the budget. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Louisiana?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Louisiana are listed on the Louisiana election hub. Louisiana election hub →
How do I see my exact Lafayette Parish ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Lafayette Parish11 ZIP codes
Candidate roster last updated Oct 1, 2026 from official election sources.