Poll shows Pierson leading Supreme Court race, lots of undecided voters

With six judges and two attorneys in the race for Louisiana Supreme Court, it’s no surprise voters are at a loss as to whom to support. But a new poll shows just how wide open the contest is at this point, with nearly one-third of voters in the eight-parish district—28%—saying they are undecided as to whom they would vote for were the race held today. The second-highest percentage of voters in the poll, 18%, support attorney Mary Olive Pierson, whose campaign paid for the poll conducted by Washington, D.C., consultant James Gerstein of GBA Strategies. Close behind Pierson are appellate judges John Michael Guidry, 16%, and Toni Higginbotham, 14%. The other candidates in the race each polled the single digits: judges Jeff Hughes, 8%; Tim Kelley, 7%; Duke Welch, 5%; Bill Morvant, 4%; and attorney Jeffry Sanford, less than 1%. Pierson, whose campaign began as something of a lighthearted protest against the number of sitting judges in the race—and the potential conflict that the crowded field causes for attorneys who have to argue cases before them while deciding whether to support their campaigns—says the poll validates her decision to run and shows she is a serious contender. “I’m very excited,” Pierson says. “This clearly shows the race is doable for me. There are so many judges; they’re splitting up the votes among themselves.” —Stephanie Riegel