Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, a conservative Republican, was elected governor of the state in a landslide victory on Saturday night.
He beat out his next closest challenger, Democrat Shawn Wilson, by 51.6% to 25.9% in Lousiana’s all-party primary election. Landry, who flipped control of the governor’s mansion after eight years of Democratic rule, was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
“Today’s election says that our state is united,” Landry said in his victory speech. “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.”
Louisiana has a “jungle primary” system, meaning that the expected runoff was averted because Landry garnered more than 50% of the vote in the 16-candidate field, including Republicans, Democrats, and independents. It’s the first time that’s happened since the 2007 and 2011 elections, with former Republican Governor Bobby Jindal winning both contests handily.
Landry is a former U.S. congressman from Louisiana’s 3rd district, a seat he held from 2011 to 2013. In 2016, he was elected attorney general of Louisiana and was easily re-elected four years later. Saturday’s gubernatorial election was the first major contest preceding the 2024 elections.
In May, Trump endorsed Landry, saying, “I am endorsing your Attorney General Jeff Landry for Governor. He has been a fantastic Attorney General. He wants to stop crime. He loves the people of Louisiana just like I do.”
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Landry also had the backing of the state GOP heading into the primary. In a Saturday post to Truth Social, Trump congratulated Landry on the win and said he would be a “truly GREAT GOVERNOR.”
Landry ran on getting crime under control and improving the economy and public school system. His campaign website blasts “woke” district attorneys for being soft on crime, and he says that as governor, Louisiana would “hold everyone, and I mean everyone, accountable for violent crime.” He describes himself as a “fearless champion” for the pro-life cause, receiving a 100% score from the National Right to Life.
The governor-elect has also been a strong voice for parental rights in education, saying he would sign a parental rights bill as governor and pledging to stop the “woke agenda” in schools throughout the state.
Following the election on Saturday night, Landry said he was “Thankful beyond belief” and “ready to get to work.” He will succeed Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards, who congratulated Landry in a statement and said he campaigned on “important kitchen table issues.”