The Republican candidate for the District 1 seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission will now be determined in a June runoff between a state lawmaker and a past parish president.
State Rep. Stephanie Hilferty and attorney and policy consultant John Young bested three other candidates in Saturday’s Republican primary with 28 percent and 31 percent of the vote, respectively. Since neither got more than 50 percent of the vote, the race to represent the New Orleans suburbs on the PSC advances to a June 27 runoff.
The winner will face Democrat Connie Norris, who was unopposed in her party’s primary, and Chris Justin, an engineer running as an independent, in November’s general election.
Hilferty and Young both vowed to serve as watchdogs against excessive utility spending. They edged out state Rep. Mark Wright, who finished third with 24 percent of the vote.