Kim Landry has won the Division A judgeship on the 23rd Judicial District Court, defeating two-time incumbent Jason Verdigets in the only contested judicial race on the ballot for the court that serves Ascension, Assumption and St. James parishes. Landry, a 58-year-old registered Republican, received 53% of the vote in the race.
The win caps a long road for Landry, who first ran for an Ascension Parish judgeship back in 2018 and came up short, according to The Advocate. This time, running again against Verdigets, she said she was giving the judge role another shot because it has been a goal in her life, per the same account. She told the paper she would prioritize giving criminal cases more time so they could move quicker if elected.
Landry is originally from Baton Rouge but has lived in Ascension Parish for about 25 years, the paper reports. She has been married for 35 years and is a mother of two. Her academic path includes graduating from St. Joseph's Academy in 1986, earning an undergraduate degree from LSU in 1990, and completing a law degree at Southern University Law Center in 1996. She has also purchased office space in Ascension Parish, according to the outlet's reporting.
A Court Covering Three Parishes
The 23rd Judicial District Court has original jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters in Ascension, Assumption and St. James parishes, according to the 23rd Judicial District Court. The court seats six elected judges across Divisions A through F, the court's website notes. In the other divisions on this cycle's ballot, incumbents were the only candidates who qualified to run, leaving Landry's contest against Verdigets as the court's lone competitive race, as reported by The Advocate.
That dynamic lines up with a broader pattern across Louisiana this cycle. Of 193 district judge elections statewide, 162 were already settled without a single vote being cast, according to a column from St. Mary Now. The same column reported that only 15 of Louisiana's 42 district attorney elections were contested this cycle. Ahead of Election Day, that same reporting had flagged the Landry-Verdigets matchup specifically, describing it as a contest in which incumbent Judge Jason Verdigets faced a feisty challenge from fellow Republican Kim Landry.
A Separate Shakeup on the Same Bench
Landry's win means she will join the bench alongside another newcomer, Rob Snyder, who is also set to become a new 23rd JDC judge, according to The Advocate. Snyder's path to the bench traces back to a separate dispute: he challenged then-incumbent Judge Steven Tureau's candidacy over tax filings, and the Fifth Circuit upheld Tureau's disqualification; the Louisiana Supreme Court denied his request to review the case. Reporting from WAFB noted that Snyder, as the only other candidate remaining in that race, was set to become the new 23rd JDC judge the following year. That contest is distinct from the Landry-Verdigets race, but it means the 23rd Judicial District Court will welcome two new judges rather than one.
Together, the two outcomes mark a notable turnover on a court where incumbents elsewhere returned unopposed this cycle. With incumbents elsewhere on the court returning unopposed, Landry's victory stands out as the only contested race — and Ascension Parish voters made their choice.
