NEW ROADS — Two challengers are looking to unseat New Roads Mayor Theron Smith in Point Coupee Parish this election cycle.

Smith, who is seeking a second term, faces challenges from Democrat Kevin Bridgewater and New Roads City Councilman Kurt Kellerman.

Smith says that when he took over, the public image of the mayor's office wasn't the greatest, and rebuilding public trust was his top priority. 

"I was going to work to enhance the image of the Mayor's office and attract investment. I think I've done that. We've had nine new businesses that have come to New Roads since I've been elected, many of them here on Main Street," Smith said.

Smith noted that he inherited severe financial constraints from the previous administration, including a failing sewer lift station that cost the city millions annually. He points to resolving that issue and bringing in new businesses as his proudest first-term achievements.

Now that those financial hurdles are cleared, Smith said he is looking toward future projects.

"One of the things that I've wanted to do since I initially got elected, I wanted to put crime cameras on all of our streets. You do that incrementally. I just couldn't afford it in the past, but I'm excited about the future because now I will have the freedom to begin to install those crime cameras on every street," Smith said. "I want to look at building a new splash pad in the northern part of our city, and there are streets that I desperately want to get sidewalks on."

One of Smith’s most vocal critics on the council has been Kurt Kellerman, who told WBRZ he initially had no plans to run for mayor.

"The way that the city is being run right now is very bad, financially, mismanagement. I just can't sit down and just let it continue to happen," Kellerman said.

Kellerman is currently suing the city over an unfulfilled public records request for city credit card statements dating back to 2023.

"I'm spending $4,000 to get documents that should be readily available to me or any citizen," Kellerman said.

A longtime business owner, Kellerman said his primary goals are restoring credibility to city hall and fixing basic municipal services.

"The city police department, we got to restore credibility to that. A big one is getting utility bills on time. I've gotten bills and other citizens have gotten bills; you get the bill, and it's due in four to five days," Kellerman said.

As a businessman of decades, Kellerman believes he is the best choice for the job: "Things are not being managed. I can manage it. I can do a better job. I won't have excuses. I take responsibility. I'm going to be accessible; there will be transparency. If they want to see any kind of public document or public record, it's going to be available," Kellerman said.

The second challenger, Kevin Bridgewater, is a retired USDA employee who has lived in New Roads for several years. He said his federal government background provides the leadership needed to navigate city challenges.

"We want to reestablish public trust in City Hall. I hear a lot of that on the campaign trail. They would love to get a utility bill that comes on time, and they're looking at the streets and things that they would like to get redone. I will be working on trying to lower those utility costs," Brigdewater said.

Bridgewater told WBRZ he also wants to address a lack of community development and uneven investment across town.

"The biggest thing that I see is that stagnation is rampant. It's a little better on this side of town, but the other side of town is just terrible; there's no investment over there," Bridgewater said."I plan to talk with the local banks to try to give some of the homeowners some loans and things of that nature. We have a lot of passed-down real estate here, and we're gradually losing it. Families aren't interested; they're moving away, they're letting them rot down."

The winner of the election will assume office on January 1.