The special election for Louisiana secretary of state is one step closer to naming a victor.
Acting Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and Democrat Gwen Collins-Greenup each received more than 20 percent of the vote to advance through Tuesday’s open primary to a Dec. 8 runoff that will decide the next chief election official for Louisiana.
Collins-Greenup, a lawyer from Clinton, surprised many pollsters and voters by reaching the runoff though she wasn’t endorsed by the Louisiana Democratic Party, which had supported Renee Fontenot Free throughout the campaign.
Collins-Greenup only raised around $3,000 for her campaign, and much of those funds were spent on campaign fees, signs and traveling expenses. By contrast, Ardoin raised more than $200,000.
Ardoin is expected to receive much of the GOP vote share in the runoff from the five other Republican candidates that ran in the primary. The winner of December’s runoff will finish the remainder of former Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s term, who resigned in May amid accusations he sexually harassed an employee.