What little chance voters had to choose who will represent the new majority-Black state Supreme Court district was snuffed out on Monday, though another race is on tap for early next year.

Last week, the current court denied Louisiana Housing Corporation Chief of Staff Leslie Chambers’ appeal of a lower court ruling that she was not eligible to run, while also overturning that court’s determination that Second Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Marcus Hunter is eligible. 

That ruling left First Circuit Court of Appeal Judge John Michael Guidry as the only eligible candidate, meaning he wins by default. Even after exhausting their in-state legal options, however, Chambers and Hunter had one last potential hope: the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Chambers looked into a possible appeal to SCOTUS. But she has decided not to pursue any further appeal, campaign director Jason Redmond told The Tracker on Monday. 

The argument in the original lawsuit to knock Chambers off the ballot involved the state’s one-year residency requirement, which she did not meet. She noted that the district was established less than three months before qualifying, and argued the requirement as applied to her case violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which might have provided the basis for an appeal if she had been disqualified on that basis. 

However, the residency issue turned out to be a moot point. The state high court ruled that Chambers had failed to prove she had filed her taxes in 2022, which violates a state law that requires Supreme Court candidates to file their income taxes for each of the five previous years in order to qualify.

That same law tripped up Hunter. In an email to The Tracker, Hunter doesn’t mention whether he considered a SCOTUS appeal, but makes clear that he won’t pursue one. 

“As a sitting Judge, I intimately understand how difficult it can be for a Judge to render life altering decisions within such a limited amount of time,” Hunter said. “I respect and accept the highest Court’s decision. I see no reason to question it simply because I was on the other side of the bench receiving an unfavorable ruling.”

Hunter had raised very little money for the race, and therefore may have struggled to compete. Chambers had raised almost $180,000, compared to about $140,000 by Guidry. 

With one Supreme Court race settled, election-watchers can turn their attention to the opening created when former Associate Justice James Genovese, with Gov. Jeff Landry’s support, took the top job at Northwestern State University. Cade Cole, a Lake Charles attorney and administrative law judge, has launched his campaign for the job.

With Landry’s backing, Cole has lined up endorsements from Attorney General Liz Murrill, along with many sheriffs, district attorneys and lawmakers from the district. Barring something unforeseen, he will be the heavy favorite in the spring special election.