Staci Albritton Mitchell

Staci Dawn Albritton Mitchell
Mayor of West Monroe, Louisiana
Incumbent
Assumed office  July 1, 2018
Preceded by	Dave Norris
Member of the West Monroe City Council
In office 2011 – July 1, 2018
Succeeded by	Trevor Land
Born	October 17, 1968
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Jay Mitchell (married 2014) (Not his first marriage)
Residence	West Monroe, Louisiana
Alma mater	West Monroe High School Louisiana State University
Occupation	Commercial photographer
Religion	United Methodist[1]

Staci Dawn Albritton Mitchell (born October 17, 1968) is a commercial photographer who is the Republican mayor of West Monroe, Louisiana, a smaller twin city of Monroe. West Monroe is west of the Ouachita River; Monroe, to the east. Both cities are in Ouachita Parish.^[2]

Mitchell graduated from West Monroe High School in 1986 and thereafter from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, at which she studied agricultural economics. After graduation, she entered the photographic business with her father.^[3] She is a board member and past chairman of the West Monroe Chamber of Commerce and sits on the board of Glenwood Regional Medical Center in West Monroe.^[1]

In 2014, she wed the attorney Jay Mitchell (born 1965; full name unavailable), who graduated from West Monroe High School in 1983, Louisiana Tech University in Ruston in 1986, and the LSU Law Center in Baton Rouge. He has worked for the district attorney's office for the 4th Judicial District Court in Monroe.^[4]

In the municipal election held on March 24, 2018, she unseated the 40-year Democratic incumbent, Dave Norris, who sought an eleventh four-year term after pledging in 2014 that his tenth term would be his last office sought. Mitchell is a former member of the city council,^[3]

Mitchell led a four-candidate field with 1,241 votes (60 percent) to Norris' 798 votes (38 percent). Two No Party contenders shared the remaining 2 percent of the ballots cast. Turnout was 26.3 percent of registered voters. Elected to the city council, along with Mitchell as mayor, were three Republicans, one Democrat, and one Independent.^[5] Since the council consists of four Republicans and an Independent.

Mitchell said that numerous voters began encouraging her to run for mayor when it was believed that Norris would not seek an eleventh term. On her election, she indicated that the general public wants "to see a little bit of change in the way that City Hall is run as far as being open, more transparent, and they want to be included." And then it's just going to be looking at how we address change because the world is changing, and West Monroe is changing. And we have to look at how we look at our issues and move forward."^[6] Mitchell listed her priorities as transparency in government and drainage and neighborhood flooding issues.^[6] At her election party, she encourage well-sishers to recycle their cans and water bottles at the celebration. “I'm going to listen, return phone calls, and involve the citizens in our decisions," Mitchell said.^[7]

Mitchell is the first Republican and the first woman mayor of West Monroe and only the third individual to be elected to that office since June 14, 1966, two years before she was born. In the 1966 general election, then Democrat Bert Hatten, later an Independent, defeated the Republican candidate, William Green "Billy" Haynes, Jr. (1912-1984), 68 to 32 percent. Both Hatten and Haynes were insurance agents.^[8] Hatten succeeded J. Allen Norris, the mayor from 1952 to 1966, no relation to Dave Morris, mayor from 1978 to 2008. Hatten endorsed Mitchell in the 2018 mayoral race, having cited Norris' earlier decision that he would retire and that the city should look for new leadership.^[1]

• Friday Ellis, current mayor of Monroe, Louisiana