Pitre will not seek third term to state rep seat

Two-term State Rep. Loulan Pitre Jr. (R-Cut Off) officially announced that he will not be a candidate for re-election this fall.

According to the Louisiana Constitution, Pitre would have been eligible to serve one more four-year term under the recently imposed law that limits lawmakers to no more than three consecutive terms in office.

“Serving as a state representative for eight years has been challenging and exciting. I am pleased that coastal restoration and flood control have become top priorities of the state, but frustrated with the difficulty in bringing these projects to construction,” Pitre said.

“I have concluded that it is time for me to move on and to make room for someone else to carry the torch in the Louisiana Legislature. I am happy for the contribution that I have been able to make and thank the many people who have assisted in all that has been accomplished in the past eight years,” he added.

Pitre serves as chairman of the House Special Committee on Coastal Restoration and Flood Control and as chairman of the Louisiana Highway 1 Emergency Task Force. He also serves as a member of the House Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works, the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations.

Pitre practices law as a partner in the New Orleans-based Gordon Arata law firm.

“I urge the citizens of District 54 to elect a state representative who will focus on the critical issues facing our region- highways, coastal restoration and flood control,” he said.

Elections for the seat are scheduled for Oct. 20. As of press time, the two announced candidates for the seat are Galliano businessman John Melancon Jr. and former state representative and attorney Mitch Theriot.