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The cast of Wednesday night’s must-see TV, the Metro Council meeting, is about to change. Without an incumbent running in eight of 12 races, the Oct. 4 election will bring immense turnover in representation and little experience or seniority—none at all if the four incumbents lose.

A number of atypical candidates and unknowns have entered the race, including 20-year-old Brett Jackson, who is a Student Government senator at LSU. Jackson would definitely put a fresh face on the council—if not a different set of opinions and ideas for governance.

The list of twentysomething candidates continues with 29-year-old Alison Gibbs Cascio, who is a District 11 candidate, and 26-year-old Larry Selders, a District 10 candidate.

Cascio, one of the few Republicans running for a council seat, supports Mayor Kip Holden’s $989 million capital improvements package that targets public safety, drainage, traffic and economic development.

“It includes much-needed projects and some very ambitious projects that could help generate significant revenue for the city-parish,” she says.

She also differs from the existing council on the parish’s historically restrictive drinking ordinances. “I support the existing laws and would support looser restrictions within a contained secure entertainment district downtown.”

Selders has similar views on the drinking ordinances for the parish, pointing out the potential economic impact it could have. “A special entertainment district established downtown could go a long way to encourage economic development.”

Political consultant Roy Fletcher says change in philosophy is inevitable. “This is going to be a relatively large change because so many of the seats are turning over,” he says.

But beyond candidates’ potential progressive ideas and ambitions for the city, there is some concern from political experts that freshman representation could mean little independence from existing government. Randy Hayden, political consultant and president of Creative Communications, is cautious of the election results.

“They are absolutely green,” he says. “So the question is, ‘Where is the leadership going to come from?’ The fear is that it will come from the mayor’s office.”

Melanie Smith-Johnson, who is running in District 2, espouses positions that very closely resemble those held by Holden. Smith-Johnson seems to fall in line on everything from the “One Baton Rouge” diversity resolution to the bond issue.

“Baton Rouge has experienced tremendous economic and population growth,” she says. “The mayor’s proposal coincides with the state’s plan for economic development and tourism.”

While there is no particular conflict of interest in Metro Council candidates simply agreeing with the mayor’s strategies before the election, it is potentially problematic. Hayden stresses the need for a balance between the council’s representation and the mayor’s office.

“I think that there should be a partnership between the mayor and the council,” he says. “Otherwise, there may result a lack of leadership for citizens because of a lack of independence.”

Baton Rouge residents will have to wait a few months for the Metro Council’s new season to start. When it does, the real cliffhanger will be whether there are the same characters with different faces or if true change has come to Wednesday night’s lineup.

Metro Council candidates:

District 1

Brenda Bennett Carter

Pat Fuller

J.E. “Trae” Welch

District 2

Ulysses “Bones”Addison [incumbent]

Gerald Handy

Vincent Jemison

Melanie Smith-Johnson

District 3

Chandler Loupe

Merritt E. McDonald

Rebecca Thompson Pero

M. Scott Wilson

District 4

Scott Wilson

Wayne Messina

District 5

Thelma Ginn Brown

Ronnie Edwards

Milton Lee

Herbert A. Pate

Johnnie Brown

District 6

Sarah Holliday

Donna Collins Lewis

Martha Jane Tassin [incumbent]

District 7

Paul Brumfield

Andrew Danna

Kim Dunn

Suchitra S. Dyer

C. Denise Marcelle

Isaiah Marshall

Byron Sharper [incumbent]

District 8

Tiffany Foxworth

Mike Walker [incumbent]

District 9

Joel Boé

David Fa-Kouri

District 10

Angela Bird

Val Lowery

Michael Samuel

Larry Selders

Tara Wicker

District 11

Alison Cascio

Donald Hodge

Scott Lemoine

Matt Watson

District 12

Jim Benham

R.J. “Smokie” Bourgeois

Brett Jackson

Kimberly Watts

For information on other races in the upcoming election, click the links below.

Mayor

Capital Improvement Plan

U.S. Senate

6th Congressional District

District Attorney