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

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Tensas Parish: 31 seats on 13 elected bodies. 11 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Parish government

Tensas Parish Police Jury

OfficeWho holds it now
Police Juror, District 1Alex "Chip" Watson, Jr. Democratic source
Police Juror, District 2Terrence South Democratic source
Police Juror, District 3William "Bill" Crigler Republican source
Police Juror, District 4Billy Arceneaux Democratic source
Police Juror, District 5Cash Clay Foster Democratic source
Police Juror, District 6Robert J. "Bubba" Rushing Democratic source
Police Juror, District 7Robert Clark Democratic source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorDonna Randolph Ratcliff Democratic source
Clerk of CourtChristina "Christy" Lee Democratic source
CoronerJon "David" McEacharn Republican source
SheriffRobert L. "Rob" Rushing Independent source

School Board

Tensas Parish School Board

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
School Board Member, District 1Jennifer Burnside Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 2Knola Faye Ransome Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 3George Matthews Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 4Annice Miller Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 5Esaw Turner Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 6Joseph Tarver Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
School Board Member, District 7John L. Turner Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Cities and towns

How many local governments Tensas Parish has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 6 local governments in Tensas Parish. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships33
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)10

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 Tensas Parish

3,935people
47.5median ageU.S.: 38.9
$36,615 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
34.4%below the U.S.: 12.5%
14.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$86,300median home valueU.S.: $332,700
11.4%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.9%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.6%U.S.: 8.4%
60.3%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
47.8%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1.1% · White 41.3% · Black 54% · Asian 1% · Other or more than one race 2.6% (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 Tensas Parish

5.9%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 6.3%. Louisiana: 3.8%.
68people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
1,085people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
1,153in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Tensas Parish 0.0%2.8%5.5%8.3%11.0% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)5.9%681,0851,153
August 20266.2%711,0811,152
July 20268.4%931,0191,112
June 20269.6%1081,0131,121
May 20268.1%869701,056
April 20266.4%711,0341,105
March 20267.0%791,0431,122
February 20267.6%831,0021,085
January 20267.4%841,0471,131
December 20256.1%711,0861,157
November 20256.3%731,0871,160
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20256.3%751,1091,184
August 20256.6%811,1391,220
July 20257.7%951,1411,236
June 20258.0%981,1211,219
May 20257.0%791,0471,126
April 20256.6%781,1101,188
March 20257.2%851,0911,176
February 20258.4%941,0201,114
January 20258.9%1031,0591,162
December 20246.9%831,1131,196
November 20247.9%931,0911,184
October 20247.5%911,1291,220
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)7.2%851,0921,177
20247.6%901,1021,192
20235.5%651,1161,181
20225.4%631,1101,173
20216.6%791,1161,195
20209.6%1171,1061,223
20198.7%1101,1601,270
20188.2%1091,2151,324
20179.1%1291,2921,421
201610.5%1591,3491,508

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 Tensas Parish

322.7 per 100,0002025. Louisiana: 515.1.
339.7 per 100,0002025. Louisiana: 1,966.4.
4murders2025, 19 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202519322.720339.7
202427474.348843.1
202323399.734590.9
202219310.324392.0
202122343.537577.7
2019687.316232.9
2018684.519267.6
2016795.68109.3
By police agency (1)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Tensas Parish Sheriff's Office202519203,808

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

5.25 per 1,000 residents2025, 1 agency serving 3,808 people.
20sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
10civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (1), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Tensas Parish Sheriff's Office20103,808
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025205.25101
2023174.56141
2021225.42141
2020194.49151
2019194.37111
2018194.23171
2016194.10171

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 Tensas Parish Assessor?
Donna Randolph Ratcliff (Democratic) is the Assessor of Tensas Parish, Louisiana.
Who is the Tensas Parish Clerk of Court?
Christina "Christy" Lee (Democratic) is the Clerk of Court of Tensas Parish, Louisiana.
Who is the Tensas Parish Coroner?
Jon "David" McEacharn (Republican) is the Coroner of Tensas Parish, Louisiana.
Who is the Tensas Parish Sheriff?
Robert L. "Rob" Rushing (Independent) is the Sheriff of Tensas Parish, Louisiana.
Who are the Tensas Parish commissioners?
Alex "Chip" Watson, Jr. (Police Juror, District 1); Terrence South (Police Juror, District 2); William "Bill" Crigler (Police Juror, District 3); Billy Arceneaux (Police Juror, District 4); Cash Clay Foster (Police Juror, District 5); Robert J. "Bubba" Rushing (Police Juror, District 6); Robert Clark (Police Juror, District 7).
Who is on the Tensas Parish School Board?
Jennifer Burnside (District 1); Knola Faye Ransome (District 2); George Matthews (District 3); Annice Miller (District 4); Esaw Turner (District 5); Joseph Tarver (District 6); John L. Turner (District 7).
What is the population of Tensas Parish?
About 3,935 people, with a median age of 47.5; the median household income is $36,615 and 34.4% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Tensas Parish?
5.9% in September 2026 (preliminary): 68 people unemployed in a labor force of 1,153, against 6.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Tensas Parish?
6 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 1 school district and 1 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Tensas Parish?
7: Newellton, Newellton, Newellton, St. Joseph, St. Joseph, Waterproof, Waterproof. 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.

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

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