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Endorses Burris
The race
Louisiana Supreme Court, District 1 (special), is uncontested on the November ballot — because the contest already happened: William "Billy" Burris (R), a judge of the 22nd Judicial District, defeated Judge Blair Downing Edwards in the May 16, 2026 Republican primary/special election for the seat vacated by Justice William J. Crain, the November general was canceled, and Burris took office June 17, 2026, for a term ending in 2028 (the remainder of the term he was elected to fill). Barring a write-in upset that the cancellation forecloses, Burris holds the seat. We note one roster correction to our inventory note: the seat was filled in May, not December — the December date in early listings does not match the Brennan Center's election record or the court's current composition.
Burris's documented record: elected to the 22nd JDC in 2017 alongside Judge Alan Zaunbrecher, son of a district judge, LSU (philosophy and religious studies) and Southern University Law Center. His signature work is the court's reentry/specialty-court program — described by colleague Zaunbrecher as "Last Chance U" work with "hardened criminals… people with multiple felony convictions" — a rehabilitation-focused approach to nonviolent offenders, per State Affairs' profile, in a tough-on-crime state. The primary's politics are part of the ledger: business advocates backed Burris (First Principles PAC spent roughly $897,000 supporting the outcome, per Brennan Center tracking) and trial lawyers opposed him (Edwards spent roughly $434,000 on television).
Pros and cons
Burris: Credits: A sitting trial judge who won a genuinely contested election against another judge; documented specialty-court work pairing accountability with second chances for nonviolent offenders — due process and law-and-order in the same file. Dirt/limits: Heavy outside PAC money in a judicial race is a proven fact of his election, printed for voters to weigh; his Supreme Court tenure is months old, so his appellate record is unproven — recorded as unproven, not as a demerit.
OUR CALL
Our call: endorse William Burris. A Republican trial judge, elected in a contested race on a record of firm courts with a working second-chance docket, affirmatively fits our values. The outside spending is disclosed above rather than hidden; it does not change the man's own record.
Vote William Burris.
For the complete Election 2026 breakdown — every race, claim by claim — see the full coverage on our website. Vote early. Research your candidates. Choose the best moderates, whatever their party — no extremism from either side. And encourage your friends and family to do the same. --- Sources — Brennan Center — Buying Time 2026: Louisiana (May 16 special election; Burris defeats Edwards; spending) — https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/buying-time-2026-louisiana • Louisiana Supreme Court — current composition (Burris, Dist. 1, since June 17, 2026) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Supreme_Court • State Affairs — Playmaker Profile: Justice Billy Burris (reentry courts, career) — https://pro.stateaffairs.com/la/playmakers/playmaker-profile-in-tough-on-crime-louisiana-justice-billy-burris-focused-on-second-chances AI-assisted article — but the sources are human, and the facts are very real.