Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry talks to reporters outside the Supreme Court, Jan. 7, 2022, in Washington. On Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, Republican state Sen. Sharon Hewitt and state Attorney General Jeff Landry joined a crowded list of candidates who have officially qualified to run for governor in Louisiana’s Oct. 14 election. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
The gubernatorial election in Louisiana is set to commence, with Republicans seeking to regain control of the governor’s mansion after an eight-year absence, while Democrats strive to retain their hold on this coveted position in a state where Donald Trump secured the majority of votes in the last two presidential elections.
In this contest, six major candidates are vying for the position left vacant by Gov. John Bel Edwards, the sole Democratic governor in the Deep South. Edwards, due to consecutive term limits, cannot seek reelection, creating a significant opportunity for Republicans to secure Louisiana’s top leadership role.
Louisiana is one of three states holding gubernatorial elections this fall, alongside Mississippi and Kentucky. The election employs a “jungle primary” system where all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, appear on the same ballot. If no candidate garners more than 50% of the votes, the top two contenders will proceed to a runoff on November 18.
Among the prominent Republican candidates is Attorney General Jeff Landry, who has garnered endorsements from notable figures, including former President Trump and U.S. Rep Steve Scalise. Landry also received an early endorsement from the state GOP, though this move was not without controversy. Throughout the campaign, Landry has maintained a substantial fundraising advantage, but he has faced criticism from opponents, who have accused him of bullying and alleged backroom deals to secure support.
Other key contenders include GOP state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, independent candidate Hunter Lundy, Republican state Treasurer John Schroder, Stephen Waguespack, a former head of a powerful business group and former senior aide to then-Gov. Bobby Jindal, and Shawn Wilson, a Democrat and former head of Louisiana’s Transportation and Development Department. State Rep. Richard Nelson, who withdrew from the race in September and endorsed Landry, will remain on the ballot in accordance with state election laws.
With four notable Republican candidates in the race, Democrats hope that Shawn Wilson, their sole major candidate, will prevail. Historically, the Democratic Party has rallied behind a single candidate to avoid splitting votes and maximize their chances of reaching a runoff against a potentially weakened Republican opponent.
The election also features a range of statewide contests, four ballot measures, and local races, including all 39 Senate seats and 105 House seats, although many incumbents are running unopposed.
The governor’s race is not the sole statewide office without an incumbent on the ballot. There are also elections for attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, and insurance commissioner. In the race for insurance commissioner, Tim Temple, a former insurance executive, is running unopposed.
The race for secretary of state is closely monitored, as Republican Kyle Ardoin, the incumbent, chose not to seek reelection. The incoming secretary of state will be tasked with addressing Louisiana’s outdated voting machines, which lack the capability to produce paper ballots essential for ensuring accurate election results. The replacement process has faced prolonged scrutiny and allegations of bid-rigging, drawing national attention. Some conspiracy theorists, who espouse baseless claims about the 2020 presidential election, have urged abandoning voting machines in favor of hand-counted paper ballots.
Candidates running for secretary of state include GOP state House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, First Assistant Secretary of State Nancy Landry, a Republican, Mike Francis, a public service commissioner and former state GOP chair, and Gwen Collins-Greenup, a Democrat and attorney. All four candidates oppose the idea of hand-counting paper ballots. Grocery store owner Brandon Trosclair, a Republican, aligns himself with conservative activists who believe in widespread election fraud and supports hand-counted paper ballots, a notion contested by election clerks due to its impracticality in handling tens of thousands of ballots across parishes.
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