Changes

==Finding Prator's successor==

==Finding Prator's successor==

Prator first announced that he would seek reelection to a seventh term as sheriff in the primary held on October 14, 2023; his term extends to July 1, 2024. However, he halted the reelection campaign because of a health scare involving a heart stent. He instead endorsed a fellow Republican, attorney and former Shreveport City Councilman John Christopher Nickelson (born September 28, 1979). Prator urges voters to back Nickelson to maintain the level of enforcing law and order and to manage the department on a fiscally sound basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/election/2023/07/16/former-city-councilman-john-nickelson-is-running-for-caddo-parish-sheriff/70400665007/|title=Former City Councilman John Nickelson is running for Caddo Parish Sheriff|author=Makenzie Boucher|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=July 16, 2023|accessdate=July 17, 2023}}</ref> Nickelson entered a November 18 runoff election against the African-American Democrat Henry L. Whitehorn, Sr., a private security consultant and a former U.S. marshal. In the primary Nickelson finished with 45 percent to Whitehorn's 35 percent. Other candidates for sheriff eliminated in the primary were Republicans Shayne Gibson and Eric Hatfield and the Democrats Patricia "Pat" Gilley and Hersy Jones, Jr. If all the Republican voters had stuck together, Nickelson would have easily won win the second balloting.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 24, 2023.</ref> However, Nickelson in a much lower turnout was defeated by Whitehorn by a single vote, 21,620 to 21,621.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 18, 2023.</ref> Republican voters who sat out the runoff had only themselves to blame for Nickelson's defeat in an election with a turnout of only 28 percent. A recount on November 27 confirmed Whitehorn's one-vote margin.

Prator first announced that he would seek reelection to a seventh term as sheriff in the primary held on October 14, 2023; his term extends to July 1, 2024. However, he halted the reelection campaign because of a health scare involving a heart stent. He instead endorsed a fellow Republican, attorney and former Shreveport City Councilman John Christopher Nickelson (born September 28, 1979). Prator urges voters to back Nickelson to maintain the level of enforcing law and order and to manage the department on a fiscally sound basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/election/2023/07/16/former-city-councilman-john-nickelson-is-running-for-caddo-parish-sheriff/70400665007/|title=Former City Councilman John Nickelson is running for Caddo Parish Sheriff|author=Makenzie Boucher|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|date=July 16, 2023|accessdate=July 17, 2023}}</ref> Nickelson entered a November 18 runoff election against the African-American Democrat Henry Lee Whitehorn, Sr. (born September 30, 1954), a private security consultant and a former U.S. marshal. In the primary Nickelson finished with 45 percent to Whitehorn's 35 percent. Other candidates for sheriff eliminated in the primary were Republicans Shayne Gibson and Eric Hatfield and the Democrats Patricia "Pat" Gilley and Hersy Jones, Jr. If all the Republican voters had stuck together, Nickelson would have easily won win the second balloting.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 24, 2023.</ref> However, Nickelson in a much lower turnout was defeated by Whitehorn by a single vote, 21,620 to 21,621.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 18, 2023.</ref> Republican voters who sat out the runoff had only themselves to blame for Nickelson's defeat in an election with a turnout of only 28 percent. A recount on November 27 confirmed Whitehorn's one-vote margin.

Nickelson filed suit in the Caddo district court to seek another election. Judge Joe Bleich, a Democrat, ruled in Nickelson's favor by citing that eleven illegal voters were cast in the election. The state circuit court upheld Bleich's ruling. Whitehorn's subsequent appeal to the Louisiana Supreme Court also failed. A second election will likely be held on March 23, 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/shreveport-attorney-analyzes-la-supreme-court-s-decision-to-deny-whitehorn-s-appeal/ar-AA1mctpL?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=5878d55e0a1e479db284b12b13ed05dc&ei=29|title=Shreveport attorney [[Royal Alexander]] analyzes La. Supreme Court’s decision to deny Whitehorn’s appeal|publisher=msn.com|accessdate=December 30, 2023}}</ref>

Nickelson filed suit in the Caddo district court to seek another election. Judge Joe Bleich, a Democrat, ruled in Nickelson's favor by citing that eleven illegal voters were cast in the election. The state circuit court upheld Bleich's ruling. Whitehorn's subsequent appeal to the Louisiana Supreme Court also failed. A second election will likely be held on March 23, 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/shreveport-attorney-analyzes-la-supreme-court-s-decision-to-deny-whitehorn-s-appeal/ar-AA1mctpL?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=5878d55e0a1e479db284b12b13ed05dc&ei=29|title=Shreveport attorney [[Royal Alexander]] analyzes La. Supreme Court’s decision to deny Whitehorn’s appeal|publisher=msn.com|accessdate=December 30, 2023}}</ref>