Ruston, LAVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Ruston Mayor & Board of Aldermen Election 2026

2 of 5

council seats up

2 contests

4 candidates

Updated Oct 5, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

Alderman Ward 5 · 1 seat

Voters citywide choose the mayor; Ward 5 voters choose their alderman. Wards 1 through 4 each drew a single candidate and are not contested races on the ballot.

3 notes on these statements

Alderman races in Wards 1 through 4 each had one qualified candidate (Carolyn Elmore Cage, Angela Mayfield, Melanie Lewis and John Denny) and are not profiled here. Lincoln Parish Journal · Aug 10, 2026

Ronny Walker and William Faulkner both attended the Ruston Daily Leader's Sept. 2026 candidate forum. Ruston Daily Leader · Sep 24, 2026

Galen Turner's Sept. 8, 2026 Journal piece was labeled an advertorial supplied by his campaign. Lincoln Parish Journal · Sep 8, 2026

Start here

Match quiz3 questions · answers stay on your phoneWhat council decidesPolice technology and public safety, Capital planning and budget transparency, Growth and infrastructureKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

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Next date

Last day to register by mail, in person or at the OMV

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Police technology and public safety

Where it standsRuston police use license plate-reading cameras, and a federally funded real-time intelligence center is planned.

What's on the tableHow the city pays for, oversees and limits police camera and drone technology.

Capital planning and budget transparency

Where it standsThe council adopted a 2026-27 budget with nearly $59 million in capital spending; a mayoral candidate asked for a capital improvement plan.

What's on the tableHow much the city spends on capital projects and what it publishes about them.

Growth and infrastructure

Where it standsThe council approved more than $7.1 million in infrastructure contracts in Sept. 2026, including work near Tarbutton Road and I-20 ahead of Buc-ee's.

What's on the tableWhich road, sewer and drainage projects the city funds as development arrives.

Local health care

Where it standsNorthern Louisiana Medical Center's status drew community questions, and a Willis Knighton facility is planned.

What's on the tableWhat role the city plays in local health care access.

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. How should Ruston approach license plate-reading cameras and drones in policing?

  2. 2. What should the city publish about its capital projects?

  3. 3. Should the city fund roads and sewers ahead of new development?

Key dates

The seat math

0 stay (not up this year): 2 on this ballot

5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

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