Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry has won the Louisiana governor's race, flipping the governor's mansion red for the first time in eight years.
Landry, 52, defeated a large field of at least 14 candidates and won the state's "jungle primary" with over 50% of the vote, eliminating the need for a runoff election between the top two candidates as required by Louisiana law.
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The attorney general will replace Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-LA), who could not run for reelection due to term limits. It is a major win for the Republican Party, as the contest was one of the GOP's best pickup opportunities heading 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 wasn't a gubernatorial runoff in Louisiana was in 2011 and 2007 when former Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal won the governor's mansion.
Political experts had predicted that Landry would win the primary election, particularly after he led in polling and received endorsements from top GOP members, including former President Donald Trump. Landry received the backing of the state GOP before any other Republican rivals had jumped into the race, as well as support from the Republican Governor's Association.
“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 over $4 million in the Louisiana governor's race, attacking Democratic candidate Shawn Wilson. Despite being a long-shot candidate, Wilson remained a front-runner in the race until the primary. During his concession speech on Saturday night, Wilson said he called Landry to congratulate him and asked Landry to keep Medicaid expansion, increase teacher pay, 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 via Associated Press.
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Landry, who has held the attorney general position in Louisiana since 2016, used the office to champion conservative policy positions. He has been in the spotlight for his support of the state's ban on gender transition medical care for transgender youth and Louisiana's near-total abortion ban, among other laws.
The governor-elect repeatedly clashed with Edwards over state matters, including LGBT rights, state finances, and the death penalty. Landry has also engaged with President Joe Biden's policies, blasting those that limit oil and gas production and COVID-19 vaccine mandates.