The threads are starting to unravel for the Democrat Party. It’s anyone’s guess how long they have left.
And this top Democrat lost their job to a Republican in an incredible upset.
Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry has been elected governor of Louisiana, turning the governor’s mansion red for the first time in eight years.
Landry, 52, won the state’s “jungle primary” with more than 50% of the vote, removing the necessity for a runoff election between the top two candidates, as required by Louisiana law.
The Attorney General will take over for Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-LA), who will not be able to run for re-election owing to term limits.
It is a significant victory for the Republican Party, since the election was one of the party’s greatest pickup possibilities moving into the 2023 off-year election cycle.
“Today’s election says that our state is united,” Landry said during his victory speech Saturday night via Associated Press.
“It’s a wake-up call and it’s a message that everyone should hear loud and clear, that we the people in this state are going to expect more out of our government from here on out.”
The last time there was no gubernatorial runoff in Louisiana was in 2011, when former Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal was elected.
Landry was expected to win the primary election by political experts, especially after he dominated polls and gained endorsements from major GOP members, including former President Donald Trump.
Landry earned endorsement from the state GOP and the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) before any other Republican candidates entered the contest.
“Congratulations to Governor-Elect Jeff Landry on tonight’s impressive victory. Governor-Elect Landry stands for law and order, putting Louisiana families first, and building opportunity and economic prosperity,” RGA Chair Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) said in a statement.
“We look forward to working with Governor-Elect Landry as Louisiana’s next governor and congratulate him for flipping Louisiana red and putting away his race early.”
The RGA Right Direction PAC spent more than $4 million against Democratic candidate Shawn Wilson in the Louisiana governor’s race. Despite being a long-shot contender, Wilson remained the race’s front-runner until the primaries.
Wilson said during his concession address on Saturday night that he called Landry to congratulate him and requested him to retain Medicaid expansion, raise teacher compensation, and “educate our children the way they need to be educated.”
“The citizens of Louisiana spoke, or didn’t speak, and made a decision,” Wilson said, according to the Associated Press.
Landry, Louisiana’s Attorney General since 2016, has used his position to advocate for conservative policy stances.
He has received attention for his support of, among other things, the state’s ban on gender transition medical care for transgender youngsters and Louisiana’s near-total abortion ban.
The Governor-elect disagreed with Edwards on a number of issues, including LGBT rights, state budget, and the death sentence. Landry has also criticized President Joe Biden’s policies, particularly those that limit oil and gas output and impose COVID-19 vaccines.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
