Changes

Until her diagnosis of [[breast cancer]] in 2017, Stokes had been a candidate<ref name=breastcancer>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/julie_stokes_treasurer_not_run.html|title=Julie Stokes quits Louisiana treasurer race after breast cancer diagnois|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=July 6, 2017|author=Julia O'Donoghue|accessdate=March 24, 2018}}</ref> for state treasurer in the special election held on October 14, 2017, to choose a successor to [[John Neely Kennedy]], who was elected in 2016 to the [[United States Senate]] to succeed fellow Republican [[David Vitter]]. Stokes underwent [[chemotherapy]] and remains a legislator.<ref name=breastcancer/> Her legislative colleague, [[John Schroder]], from St. Tammany Parish, won a special election runoff against an [[African-American]] [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] for the right to succeed Kennedy.

Until her diagnosis of [[breast cancer]] in 2017, Stokes had been a candidate<ref name=breastcancer>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/07/julie_stokes_treasurer_not_run.html|title=Julie Stokes quits Louisiana treasurer race after breast cancer diagnois|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=July 6, 2017|author=Julia O'Donoghue|accessdate=March 24, 2018}}</ref> for state treasurer in the special election held on October 14, 2017, to choose a successor to [[John Neely Kennedy]], who was elected in 2016 to the [[United States Senate]] to succeed fellow Republican [[David Vitter]]. Stokes underwent [[chemotherapy]] and remains a legislator.<ref name=breastcancer/> Her legislative colleague, [[John Schroder]], from St. Tammany Parish, won a special election runoff against an [[African-American]] [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] for the right to succeed Kennedy.

On March 2, 2013, Stokes won a special election to succeed fellow Republican Anthony V. "Tony" Ligi, Jr., who resigned to become director of the Jefferson Business Council.<ref> On the same day that Stokes was elected to the Louisiana House, another Republican, Barry Dee Ivey of Baton Rouge]], won a special election in District 65 to choose a successor to the Republican Clifton Russell "Clif" Richardson, who resigned because of health issues.</ref> In defeating three fellow Republicans, Stokes received 56 percent of the vote to fill the nearly three years left in Ligi's term. Businessman Jack Rizzuto, a  candidate defeated by Ligi in 2007, finished second in the 2013 contest with 31 percent of the ballots cast. Allison Bent Bowler, the chief financial officer at Benjamin Franklin High School  in New Orleans received 9 percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/03/baton_rouge_businessman_barry.html|author=Lauren McGaughy|title=Baton Rouge businessman Barry Ivey wins special House election, March 2, 2013|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|accessdate=March 24, 2018}}</ref> No Democrat sought the District 79 House seat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|date=March 2, 2013|accessdate=March 24, 2018}}</ref>

On March 2, 2013, Stokes won a special election to succeed fellow Republican Anthony V. "Tony" Ligi, Jr., who resigned to become director of the Jefferson Business Council.> On the same day that Stokes was elected to the Louisiana House, another Republican, Barry Dee Ivey of Baton Rouge]], won a special election in District 65 to choose a successor to the Republican Clifton Russell "Clif" Richardson, who resigned because of health issues. In defeating three fellow Republicans, Stokes received 56 percent of the vote to fill the nearly three years left in Ligi's term. Businessman Jack Rizzuto, a  candidate defeated by Ligi in 2007, finished second in the 2013 contest with 31 percent of the ballots cast. Allison Bent Bowler, the chief financial officer at Benjamin Franklin High School  in New Orleans received 9 percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/03/baton_rouge_businessman_barry.html|author=Lauren McGaughy|title=Baton Rouge businessman Barry Ivey wins special House election, March 2, 2013|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|accessdate=March 24, 2018}}</ref> No Democrat sought the District 79 House seat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Graphical|title=Election Returns|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|date=March 2, 2013|accessdate=March 24, 2018}}</ref>