Melancon Jr. wins election

John Melancon Jr. will fill Seat G on the Greater Lafourche Port Commission after he won Saturday’s special election to replace his late father with 53.2 percent of the 10th Ward vote.

The Republican secured 937 votes, 114 more than his opponent Harry Cheramie. Melancon was appointed to fill the seat until the special election after his father and elected board member, John Melancon Sr., died last October.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to serve on the port commission, but it’s really more of an honor to follow in his footsteps,” Melancon said. “He was a great parent in making sure all his children had an occupation, even better that they were entrepreneurs and staying in business.”

Melancon said that he and his two brothers gave their input to his father while he served on the commission.

Melancon said the commission must continue to work to get Port Fourchon back on solid footing, as the impact from the prolonged-but-lifted ban on deepwater offshore drilling continues to be felt by local shipbuilders.

“It’s not going to go from zero to 100,” Melancon said. “It’s going to be a gradual process of getting back to where we were before and going beyond.”

The port is also in competition for being awarded as the site for a quick oil spill response location with ports in Galveston and Houston, Texas, Mobile, Ala. and Lake Charles.

“I think we have more vessels,” Melancon said. “The land is available at the port and we have the room, and I think we are the best service for that particular instance, which once again would mean more jobs for more boats and vessels and crew boats and that type of nature if this type of spill or any type of spill would happen again in the future.”

The port’s current leaders spoke positively about Melancon’s result.

“As a personal friend of Johnny Sr., I have known John Jr. for many years,” Board President Larry Griffin said. “He’s done well on the board as an appointee, and I know I will be able to work well with him as a board member.”

“We have faced challenging times over the past year, and as we continue to navigate through them, we’re proud to have a board member like John in our boat,” Chett Chiasson, the port’s director, said.

Melancon will complete the term, which ends in 2012.