Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry won the state's gubernatorial race, providing the GOP with a victory in the southern state previously led by John Bel Edwards.
Landry is a Republican lawmaker who has strong ties to former United States President Donald Trump. He received nearly 52% of the votes among a crowded field of candidates in the open primary in Louisiana. Under this system, all individuals running for state governor, regardless of party, run in the same election.
Jeff Landry Wins Louisiana Gubernatorial Race
If no candidate receives the majority of the vote, the two top individuals will compete in a runoff under Louisiana law. However, Landry got over 50% of the vote, giving him the majority and fending off a second round to become the state's governor-elect.
The hardline Republican, seen as a staunch supporter of Trump, ran his campaign on a tough-on-crime platform. He also consistently pushed conservative policies in Louisiana, including a ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth and a near-total abortion ban, as per the Washington Post.
The gubernatorial race winner was among the 19 state attorney generals who signed a June letter demanding that the Biden administration allow their officers access to information about residents who received gender-affirming or abortion care in other states.
The former Louisiana governor, Edwards, could not run in the race because of term limits, and former Louisiana transportation secretary Shawn Wilson filled his spot. The latter was the second finisher in the election after receiving more than 25% of the vote.
On top of Landry, seven other GOP lawmakers ran for the Louisiana governor's office, but only he had received Trump's endorsement in the race. He was also able to secure support from Rep. Steve Scalise, who is a stalwart of Louisiana Republican politics.
Republican Enthusiasm Coming Into 2024
The other GOP candidates in the race included state Treasurer John Schroder and Stephen Waguespack. According to Politico, the latter is a former executive at the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and was a one-time aide to former GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal.
Landry quickly gathered GOP support in the gubernatorial race, and his victory without the need for a runoff was seen as a surprise. Some view it as an early sign of Republican voters' enthusiasm heading into the 2024 political season.
Despite Louisiana being a red state, where Trump carried it by nearly 19 points in 2020, Landry is only the fourth Republican governor of the state since the end of Reconstruction. Edwards is seen as one of the last of a dying breed of Southern Democrats, and he has a rare anti-abortion stance who was still in a prominent elected office.
Landry's win precedes two more red state governor's elections scheduled for this fall, including one in which the GOP hopes to flip a seat. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is looking to win a second term on Nov. 7, while Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is trying to do the same in Mississippi, said NBC News.
