Hoychick files city judge campaign paperwork; committee files Caswell district judge finance report

Attorney Terry Hoychick has filed campaign committee organizational documents with the Secretary of State preparatory to running for Eunice city judge in November.
Hoychick has been reported as weighing a candidacy since incumbent Lynette Feucht made it known last year that she would not seek another term.
In addition to filing the initial required paperwork, Hoychick also provided an extensive statement about his candidacy to The Eunice News.
Hoychick’s committee chairman is Tom Voinche. Vice chairman is Kent Aguillard.
Another announced candidate, Paul Brown, has not yet filed organizational papers, according to the Secretary of State’s data base.
Brown said Thursday that his intentions still are to run, but that he has not yet formalized the process.
Judicial campaign rules are different than those for other Louisiana elective office. Election committees are necessary because judicial candidates or incumbents are prohibited from soliciting campaign funds. As candidates, they cannot pledge, promise or commit to a course of action regarding any issue that might come before their court.
Thus, there are committees such as the Committee to Elect Gerard Caswell as a district judge, which has filed its campaign finance report for 2013.
Chairman Jacque Pucheu, Jr. reports the committee raised $46,200.
Pucheu contributed $2,500, as did the candidate’s brother Ed Caswell, II, and Shane or Cheri Frey, Manuel Farms and Morrow Morrow Ryan & Bassett, an Opelousas law firm.
The candidate contributed $1,000 to the fund, as did Toefers Mfg. & Distr., Picou Drug Store, Michael Johnson (treasurer of the campaign committee), Edmund Caswell, III, Katie Caswell, Christopher Caswell, Dave T. Johnson, John W. Johnson, Perry Pitre Ford, Glen Bihm, Steel Supply Inc., D&R Supply, Kenneth DeJean of Lafayette, Juneau David of Lafayette and Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards of Lafayette.
A full list of donors of other amounts to Caswell through Dec. 31, 2013 can bd found at the campaign finance reporting website.
Caswell is running for the seat now held by Ellis Daigle, whose retirement is considered imminent by observers. Eunice attorney Donnie Richard has also announced intentions to run for that seat, but had not filed organization papers as of Friday.
Daigle is restricted by judicial ethics and conduct rules regarding what he can say regarding his intentions. He cannot file DA campaign organization papers while serving on the bench.
DA Earl Taylor last week formally announced he would seek a fourth term. He had not through Friday filed a campaign finance report for 2013. A report of a year ago showed he had raised $17,730 during 2012, spending about $10,400 of that.
Hoychick, a Eunice attorney for 35 years, said he began praying about his candidacy when he learned Judge Feucht was retiring. He at one time practiced with Feucht as well as her father, the late Judge Nilas Young.
“I began praying God would give me peace about running for this office if indeed that is what He wanted. I received that peace and determined to be obedient.” he said.