By: RAYMOND PARTSCH III
Managing Editor
PINE PRAIRIE -- There won’t be a race for Pine Prairie Chief of Police after all.
Detective Joshua Estes of the Pine Prairie Police Department withdrew his candidacy for the village’s top law enforcement official in a letter provided to The Gazette on Thursday afternoon.
In the letter Estes wrote, “This letter is to thank citizens of Pine Prairie that would be supporting my candidacy of the Office of Chief in Pine Prairie. Due to my own personal issues, I feel that at this time, I would be doing a disservice to the community by continuing my candidacy. Sincerely, Joshua C. Estes.”
Estes was running against incumbent L.C. Deshotel in the upcoming November 8th election. With Estes withdrawing from the race, Deshotel is likely to be reelected for another four years but that won’t become official until the election.
The Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court Randy Deshotel said that the deadline to have one’s name officially removed from the ballot has passed, so even though Estes has publicly withdrawn his name from the race it will still appear on the ballot in November.
Deshotel was appointed chief back in 1991 as he finished serving the term of Tommy Gough. Deshotel was elected in 1992 for his first full term as chief, and reelected again in 1996, 2000 and 2004. He lost by a mere eight votes to Todd Ortis in the 2008 election but won the 2012 race over Rick Ordner by taking 72 percent of the vote.
“I am going to continue doing what I am doing to help the people and this community,” Deshotel said. “Josh isn’t going anywhere either. He will be right here with us helping us protect and serve Pine Prairie.
“I do want to thank everyone for their support and help. Without the public I wouldn’t be anything.”