EVANGELINE PARISH (KLFY) – A challenge filed in Evangeline Parish Monday morning raises concerns about the eligibility of a candidate for the Louisiana House of Representatives.
Two voters in Evangeline Parish, Gwen Fontenot and Renee Brown, have challenged Todd McKellar’s eligibility to run in the Oct. 14 election, and requested a hearing before the 13th Judicial District Court on Wednesday.
McKellar, candidate for La. House District 38, is being challenged. Candidates for Louisiana legislative seats must meet the following requirements:
- By the date of qualification, the candidate must be 18 years of age
- Must have resided in Louisiana for the preceding 2 years
- Must have been domiciled for the preceding year in the legislative district from which the candidate seeks election.
“Despite overwhelming legal evidence to the contrary, Todd falsely claims he was domiciled in District #38 for at least 12 months,” Fontenot said. “Furthermore, there are no records of McKellar having ever cast a vote in the district he aspires to represent, leading to questions about his connection to the local community/district and its issues.”
According to the filing, McKellar has only been living in District 38 since March or April 2023, five to six months short of the residency requirement. McKellar registered as a candidate for the La. House seat on Aug. 8.
The matter centers around the timing of McKellar’s homestead exemption, which changed from Calcasieu Parish earlier this year, according to the filing.
During the hearing McKellar, as well as Robin Hooter and Randall Deshotel, clerks of court in Rapides and Evangeline parishes respectively, will be required to show cause why McKellar’s name should not be removed as a valid candidate..
The hearing has been scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16 before the 13th Judicial District Court in Ville Platte.
