A Man Won an Election With 68% of the Vote — Then the State Tried to Eliminate His Office
Title Options
- A Man Won an Election With 68% of the Vote — Then the State Tried to Eliminate His Office
- Calvin Duncan Won the Election. Why Was the Office Suddenly Abolished Afterward?
- What Happens When the Establishment Loses a Local Election?
- The Calvin Duncan Case Raises a Bigger Question About Power and Local Elections
- He Won the Election Fairly. Then Lawmakers Changed the Rules.
- Is This What “States’ Rights” Looks Like in Practice?
- Calvin Duncan’s Story Shows Why Local Elections Matter More Than People Think
- Can Democracy Function If the Rules Change After the Vote?
- The Most Disturbing Local Political Story Most People Haven’t Heard About
- A Wrongfully Convicted Man Won Office — Then the State Moved to Stop Him
On the latest segment of Raised By Her, Donnica and Ro Nita break down what they see as one of the clearest examples of structural power moving to override a local election result.
Calvin Duncan — an exoneree who taught himself law during nearly 30 years of wrongful imprisonment — won the New Orleans criminal clerk race with 68% of the vote. 📉⚖️
According to Donnica, the response from the political establishment was immediate. After losing at the ballot box, lawmakers fast-tracked Senate Bill 256, which would abolish the criminal clerk’s office before Duncan could even take office.
Ro Nita argues that many voters assume winning an election means the fight is over, but this case raises bigger questions about how much power state governments have to restructure systems after an election has already happened.
The situation became even more controversial when a federal judge ruled the law unconstitutional, only for the Fifth Circuit to pause the ruling hours later. Critics also point to the state merging criminal and civil court records, which they argue makes access to records more difficult for exonerees and defense advocates.
The conversation ultimately asks a larger question about civic engagement, local politics, and institutional power:
If elected offices, systems, or rules can be changed immediately after voters make a decision, how much faith do people continue to have in local democracy?