Contested Slidell Council Races Put Multiple Seats In Play

Voters Will Decide Several Head-To-Head Council Contests On May 16

Slidell voters are heading into a busy municipal election with a string of one-on-one City Council races on the ballot and at least two districts guaranteed to get new representation.

Districts A and B will both have new council members after the May 16 election. Current District A Councilwoman Leslie Denham and District B Councilman David Dunham still appear on the city’s current council roster, but both are running for council at-large instead of seeking re-election in their district seats. That leaves both district posts open this year.

According to the St. Tammany Parish sample ballot, District A voters will choose between Rene Arcemont and Landon J. Washington. In District B, voters will choose between Sean Fadely and Fabian L. Hartley. The same ballot shows additional head-to-head council races in District C, District E and District G.

The ballot also shows a competitive at-large race, with five candidates seeking two seats: Tom Abney, Jeff Burgoyne, Leslie Denham, David Dunham and Kenny Tamborella. Burgoyne is a current at-large councilman, while Denham and Dunham are moving from district races into the citywide contest. Tamborella currently represents District E, meaning that race also will bring turnover if he wins an at-large seat or leaves his district post at the end of the term.

Current city records list Megan Haggerty as the sitting council member for District C and Kenny Tamborella as the sitting council member for District E. The sample ballot shows Haggerty facing Belinda Parker Brown in District C, while District E voters will choose between Shawn Jones and Dominick “Nick” Spadoni. In District G, the ballot lists John Grigg against Timothy “Tim” Rogers.

The races will unfold during Louisiana’s May 16, 2026 Closed Party Primary and Municipal Primary election. State election information shows early voting is scheduled for May 2 through May 9, excluding Sunday, with polls open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Election Day voting is set for May 16 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

With multiple contested council races and open seats in Districts A and B, this year’s election will shape a large share of the body that handles local ordinances, budgets and neighborhood-level issues across Slidell. The guaranteed turnover in those two districts stands out as one of the clearest changes on the ballot, but voters in several other parts of the city also will be choosing between competing candidates rather than deciding uncontested races.

Why This Matters In Slidell

City Council decisions affect drainage, roads, zoning, public spending and other everyday issues that directly touch Slidell neighborhoods. This election is notable because it is not limited to one or two isolated races. Instead, voters across several districts will be making choices in contested matchups, with Districts A and B certain to get fresh representation.