Who is the Ascension Parish Assessor?

M.J. "Mert" Smiley, Jr. (Republican) is the Assessor of Ascension Parish, Louisiana.

Who is the Ascension Parish Clerk of Court?

Bridget Hanna (Republican) is the Clerk of Court of Ascension Parish, Louisiana.

Who is the Ascension Parish Coroner?

Christopher Trevino (Republican) is the Coroner of Ascension Parish, Louisiana.

Who is the Ascension Parish Sheriff?

"Bobby" Webre (Republican) is the Sheriff of Ascension Parish, Louisiana.

Who are the Ascension Parish commissioners?

Clint Cointment (Parish President); Oliver Joseph (Council Member, District 1); Joel Robert (Council Member, District 2); Travis Turner (Council Member, District 3); Brett Arceneaux (Council Member, District 4); Michael "Todd" Varnado (Council Member, District 5); Chase Melancon (Council Member, District 6); Brian Hillensbeck (Council Member, District 7); Blaine Petite (Council Member, District 8); Pamela "Pam" Alonso (Council Member, District 9); Dennis Cullen (Council Member, District 10); Jennifer DeFrances (Council Member, District 11).

Who is on the Ascension Parish School Board?

Robyn Penn Delaney (District 1); Willie Robinson (District 2); Julie Burnett Blouin (District 3); Marty J. Bourgeois (District 4, Seat A); John D. Murphy (District 4, Seat B); John DeFrances (District 5, Seat A); Taft C. Kleinpeter (District 5, Seat B); Jared "Boo" Bercegeay (District 6, Seat A); Louis D. Lambert (District 6, Seat B); Karen Hays Braud (District 7, Seat A); Jake D. Lambert (District 7, Seat B).

What is the population of Ascension Parish?

About 130,314 people, with a median age of 36.6; the median household income is $91,549 and 10.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Ascension Parish?

3.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,293 people unemployed in a labor force of 70,024, against 3.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).

How many local governments are there in Ascension Parish?

5 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal and 1 school district governments.

What cities and towns are in Ascension Parish?

4: Donaldsonville, Gonzales, Gonzales, Sorrento. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.

Ascension Parish, LA elected officials: parish government, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Ascension Parish: 46 seats on 10 elected bodies. 10 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Parish government

Ascension Parish Council

Office	Who holds it now
Parish President	Clint Cointment Republican source
Council Member, District 1	Oliver Joseph Democratic source
Council Member, District 2	Joel Robert Republican source
Council Member, District 3	Travis Turner Democratic source
Council Member, District 4	Brett Arceneaux Republican source
Council Member, District 5	Michael "Todd" Varnado Republican source
Council Member, District 6	Chase Melancon Republican source
Council Member, District 7	Brian Hillensbeck Republican source
Council Member, District 8	Blaine Petite No party source
Council Member, District 9	Pamela "Pam" Alonso Republican source
Council Member, District 10	Dennis Cullen Republican source
Council Member, District 11	Jennifer DeFrances Republican source

County officers

Office	Who holds it now
Assessor	M.J. "Mert" Smiley, Jr. Republican source
Clerk of Court	Bridget Hanna Republican source
Coroner	Christopher Trevino Republican source
Sheriff	"Bobby" Webre Republican source

School Board

Ascension Parish School Board

Office	Who holds it now	Next term
School Board Member, District 1	Robyn Penn Delaney Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 2	Willie Robinson Republican source
School Board Member, District 3	Julie Burnett Blouin Democratic source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 4, Seat A	Marty J. Bourgeois Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 4, Seat B	John D. Murphy Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 5, Seat A	John DeFrances Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 5, Seat B	Taft C. Kleinpeter Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 6, Seat A	Jared "Boo" Bercegeay No party source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 6, Seat B	Louis D. Lambert Independent source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 7, Seat A	Karen Hays Braud Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 7, Seat B	Jake D. Lambert Republican source	On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Cities and towns

Donaldsonville · Mayor Leroy Sullivan, Sr. · 6 seats
Gonzales · Mayor Timothy "Tim" Riley · 7 seats
Sorrento · Mayor Christopher "Chris" Guidry · 6 seats

How many local governments Ascension Parish has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 5 local governments in Ascension Parish. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of government	Census count (2022)	Listed on this page
County government	1	1
Cities, towns, villages and townships	3	3
School districts (school boards)	1	1
Special districts (elected boards)	0	0

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Ascension Parish

130,314people

36.6median ageU.S.: 38.9

$91,549 household incomeU.S.: $80,734

10.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%

29.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%

$279,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700

4.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%

4.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%

6.1%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%

6.2%U.S.: 8.4%

50.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%

21.7%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 8.4% · White 63.5% · Black 22.8% · Asian 1% · Other or more than one race 4.2% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Ascension Parish

3.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.8%. Louisiana: 3.8%.

2,293people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.

67,731people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.

70,024in the September 2026, preliminary.

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years

Month	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)	3.3%	2,293	67,731	70,024
August 2026	3.1%	2,194	68,082	70,276
July 2026	3.6%	2,572	67,927	70,499
June 2026	4.1%	2,942	68,035	70,977
May 2026	3.7%	2,645	68,394	71,039
April 2026	3.2%	2,283	69,346	71,629
March 2026	3.8%	2,718	68,692	71,410
February 2026	3.8%	2,672	68,496	71,168
January 2026	3.8%	2,654	67,266	69,920
December 2025	3.3%	2,345	68,415	70,760
November 2025	3.5%	2,511	68,372	70,883
October 2025	not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025	3.8%	2,628	66,495	69,123
August 2025	3.8%	2,598	65,861	68,459
July 2025	4.0%	2,715	65,999	68,714
June 2025	4.0%	2,768	66,353	69,121
May 2025	3.6%	2,513	66,592	69,105
April 2025	3.2%	2,222	67,269	69,491
March 2025	3.4%	2,395	67,342	69,737
February 2025	3.4%	2,374	67,260	69,634
January 2025	3.7%	2,531	66,365	68,896
December 2024	3.4%	2,376	66,627	69,003
November 2024	3.6%	2,473	67,178	69,651
October 2024	3.7%	2,558	67,189	69,747

Yearly averages

Year	Rate	Unemployed	Employed	Labor force
2025 (11 months)	3.6%	2,509	66,938	69,447
2024	3.5%	2,458	67,086	69,544
2023	3.0%	2,057	65,883	67,940
2022	3.0%	2,001	65,208	67,209
2021	4.3%	2,802	62,415	65,217
2020	7.1%	4,482	58,978	63,460
2019	4.0%	2,535	61,582	64,117
2018	4.1%	2,578	61,065	63,643
2017	4.2%	2,655	59,861	62,516
2016	4.9%	2,997	58,740	61,737

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Louisiana's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.0% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Ascension Parish

241.7 per 100,0002025. Louisiana: 515.1.

1,375.0 per 100,0002025. Louisiana: 1,966.4.

6murders2025, 350 violent crimes in all.

Earlier years

Year	Violent	Rate	Property	Rate
2025	350	241.7	1,991	1,375.0
2024	364	254.3	2,175	1,519.5
2023	429	304.1	2,630	1,864.0
2022	448	324.8	2,797	2,028.1
2021	468	333.0	2,828	2,012.3
2020	481	346.8	3,238	2,334.3
2019	415	304.5	3,244	2,380.0
2018	385	287.3	3,670	2,738.5
2017	413	309.4	3,796	2,844.1
2016	414	316.1	3,820	2,916.2

By police agency (2)

Agency	Year	Violent	Property	People served
Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office	2025	276	1,537	121,933
Gonzales Police Department	2025	74	454	14,258

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Louisiana · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.13 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 136,191 people.

290sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.

125civilian staff2025, full-time.

Agencies counted (2), 2025

Agency	Officers	Civilians	People served
Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office	241	121	121,933
Gonzales Police Department	49	4	14,258

Earlier years

Year	Officers	Per 1,000	Civilians	Agencies
2025	290	2.13	125	2
2024	288	2.14	117	2
2023	278	2.10	119	2
2022	263	2.03	123	2
2021	238	1.83	180	2
2020	308	2.40	90	2
2019	325	2.58	74	2
2018	320	2.58	66	2
2017	318	2.58	60	2
2016	311	2.56	59	2

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Ascension Parish Assessor?: M.J. "Mert" Smiley, Jr. (Republican) is the Assessor of Ascension Parish, Louisiana.
Who is the Ascension Parish Clerk of Court?: Bridget Hanna (Republican) is the Clerk of Court of Ascension Parish, Louisiana.
Who is the Ascension Parish Coroner?: Christopher Trevino (Republican) is the Coroner of Ascension Parish, Louisiana.
Who is the Ascension Parish Sheriff?: "Bobby" Webre (Republican) is the Sheriff of Ascension Parish, Louisiana.
Who are the Ascension Parish commissioners?: Clint Cointment (Parish President); Oliver Joseph (Council Member, District 1); Joel Robert (Council Member, District 2); Travis Turner (Council Member, District 3); Brett Arceneaux (Council Member, District 4); Michael "Todd" Varnado (Council Member, District 5); Chase Melancon (Council Member, District 6); Brian Hillensbeck (Council Member, District 7); Blaine Petite (Council Member, District 8); Pamela "Pam" Alonso (Council Member, District 9); Dennis Cullen (Council Member, District 10); Jennifer DeFrances (Council Member, District 11).
Who is on the Ascension Parish School Board?: Robyn Penn Delaney (District 1); Willie Robinson (District 2); Julie Burnett Blouin (District 3); Marty J. Bourgeois (District 4, Seat A); John D. Murphy (District 4, Seat B); John DeFrances (District 5, Seat A); Taft C. Kleinpeter (District 5, Seat B); Jared "Boo" Bercegeay (District 6, Seat A); Louis D. Lambert (District 6, Seat B); Karen Hays Braud (District 7, Seat A); Jake D. Lambert (District 7, Seat B).
What is the population of Ascension Parish?: About 130,314 people, with a median age of 36.6; the median household income is $91,549 and 10.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Ascension Parish?: 3.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,293 people unemployed in a labor force of 70,024, against 3.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Ascension Parish?: 5 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal and 1 school district governments.
What cities and towns are in Ascension Parish?: 4: Donaldsonville, Gonzales, Gonzales, Sorrento. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Louisiana Secretary of State's official list of elected officials; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

Ascension Parish's 2026 ballot and results · Every Louisiana parish · Louisiana's members of Congress

See your members of Congress and every race and measure on your ballot in Ascension Parish, from your address. Your address stays in your browser.Look up my races

See something wrong on this page? Report a problem · Corrections