John Trahan Jr., a former candidate for Lafayette city marshal in 2020, has announced his bid for Youngsville chief of police in November as a No Party candidate.
Trahan had initially attempted to run in the special election for the Youngsville chief of police held in 2024, but was disqualified because he didn’t meet the requirement of being domiciled in the city for at least one year.
Trahan touts 32 years of law enforcement experience as well as military service. His law enforcement career began in 1989 when he was employed by the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office as a detective. He later served in the Army during Desert Storm between 1990 and 1991, and joined the h State Police in 1995.
Trahan says his campaign is focused on bringing unity to the Youngsville Police Department, which has been severely splintered by multiple inter-departmental investigations.
"My vision is centered on professional, unified and people-centered policing that prioritizes public safety, fosters community engagement and prepares our department to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” Trahan said in a Facebook post announcing his candidacy Tuesday.
Trahan also ran for Lafayette city marshal as a Democrat in 2020, receiving 20% of the vote and finishing third place, missing the runoff.
Other announced candidates for the position include former Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office chief deputy Art LeBreton. Youngsville’s incumbent chief of police, JP Broussard, has not yet indicated whether he intends to run for a full term.
The election is scheduled to be held alongside congressional midterm elections in November.