Outgoing Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory outspent his opponent by more than $135,000 for the period that includes the Nov. 18 primary election which he lost to Monique Blanco Boulet.
Guillory was the top vote-getter in the Oct. 14 primary, but Boulet prevailed in the general election, making history as the first woman elected to that parish wide post.
Campaign finance reports were due Dec. 28 to the Louisiana Ethics Administration for the period between Oct. 30 and Dec. 18.
They show Guillory took in $146,143, about $14,741 more than Boulet, and outspent her by $135,676. Guillory spent $345,722 to Boulet's $189,365.
Guillory, according to the finance reports, had $94,587 more than Boulet entering the final weeks of the general election. Boulet ended the campaign reporting period with $57,245 compared to $30,348 Guillory had remaining, a difference of $26,896.
Boulet repaid $20,000 in personal loans to herself from the campaign, the reports show.
Guillory received $38,068 from political action committees compared with $2,500 Boulet received from PACs.
Boulet is the daughter of the late Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco, the first woman elected governor of Louisiana. Boulet and Lafayette City and Parish Council members will be sworn in during a public ceremony at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Cajundome Convention Center. The public is invited.
In the past month, Boulet announced the names of six department leaders she is retaining from the Guillory administration and four of her own picks to join her administration.
Those being retained are:
- Jeffrey Stewart, director of Lafayette Utilities System.
- Warren Abadie, director of the traffic, roads and bridges department.
- Dave Domingue, director of International Trade and Development.
- Brian Smith, director of the drainage department.
- Robert Benoit, fire chief.
- Judith Estorge, police chief.
Joining Boulet's administrative staff are:
- Patrick Ottinger, city-parish attorney.
- Karen Fontenot, chief financial officer.
- Matthew Duhon, chief innovation officer.
- Robert Yancy LeGrande, policy and special projects advisor to the Mayor-President.
Boulet said she will make further announcements regarding her administrative staff following the Jan. 3 inauguration. Some non-civil service administrative staff under Guillory's term indicated they have been advised they will not be retained by Boulet. For some, Friday was their last day at work for Lafayette Consolidated Government.