Local country singer Sammy Kershaw, who finished third in the running of the Oct. 2 election for lieutenant governor, has thrown his support behind first place finisher, Secretary of State Jay Dardenne. Local country singer Sammy Kershaw, who finished third in the running of the Oct. 2 election for lieutenant governor, has thrown his support behind first place finisher, Secretary of State Jay Dardenne. Dardenne and Kershaw are both Republicans; Dardenne now faces off against Democrat Caroline Fayard in the Nov. 2 runoff election for the post. At the Lafayette press conference this morning, Kershaw announced he planned to do limited campaigning for Dardenne.
In the primary, Dardenne received 28 percent of the vote to Fayard's 24 percent. Kershaw finished with 19 percent but carried 31 parishes - more than any other candidate - a testament to his support in the state's more rural areas. Kershaw was particularly strong in Acadiana, where he carried Lafayette, Evangeline, Acadia, Vermilion, St. Martin, St. Mary and Iberia parishes.