Slidell police lead and ex-state trooper face off in St. Tammany sheriff runoff
With 98% of precincts reporting, Seuzeneau and Hodges are the only two candidates advancing to the December 12 election.
By Ibrahim Howard ·
Daniel Seuzeneau and Robert Hodges are the only two candidates remaining in the race for St. Tammany Parish sheriff after Fox 8 projected the results Tuesday evening. The pair will face each other in a runoff election scheduled for December 12. With 168 of the parish's 171 precincts reporting, Seuzeneau held a lead with 46 percent of the vote. Hodges trailed with 32 percent in the four-candidate field.
The other two contenders did not advance. Scott Illing, a retired U.S. Marshal and former state trooper, received 11 percent of the vote. David Maki, the former St. Tammany sheriff bomb squad commander, also finished with 11 percent support.
This election fills the vacancy left by former Sheriff Randy Smith. Smith resigned in May after pleading guilty to second-degree battery. He had attacked a man inside a restaurant in Mandeville. The winner of the December runoff will serve the remaining 17 months of Smith's term.
Bret Ibert, a veteran deputy, currently serves as the interim sheriff. He has stated his intention to retire from the agency once the new sheriff takes office in January. Hodges, 54, retired from his role as superintendent of the Louisiana State Police to run for the position. Seuzeneau, 43, has worked for the Slidell Police Department for two decades. He served as public information officer for more than 10 years before becoming interim chief in October 2025 after Randy Fandal was elected Slidell mayor.
The November 3 election was a direct test of the candidates' ability to replace Smith. The parish will now wait more than a month for the final decision in this leadership change.
