What’s Happening:
The 2024 presidential election is still more than a year away, but there are unheralded elections at the state level that could impact the results. Republicans didn’t’ deliver the “red wave” many expected in the midterm elections of 2022 and GOP hopes are high into next year.
Elections at the state level can impact national results especially if Republicans have a majority in the legislatures and governors’ offices. Many people don’t realize that a southern state flipped over the weekend from Blue to Red in a race for governor. Now the state is in GOP hands at the highest levels.
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, a conservative Republican, was elected governor of the state in a landslide victory on Saturday night. This may signal more wins for the GOP.
From The Daily Wire:
“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…”
Landry’s win showed GOP strength in the state by taking 51.6% of the votes in a “jungle primary” system. This means a runoff was averted because Landry garnered more than 50% of the vote in the 16-candidate field that included Republicans, Democrats, and independents.
This is the first time a Republican dominated in the primary in more than a decade. The GOP gubernatorial election win was the first major contest before the 2024 election season.
Landry’s win flipped control of the governor’s mansion after eight years of Democratic rule. He was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Landry held office as a U.S. congressman from Louisiana’s 3rd district from 2011 to 2013. He was elected attorney general of Louisiana in 2016 and was easily re-elected four years later.
Landry focused on issues that appear to resonate with voters heading into 2024. He pledged to get crime under control while improving the economy and the public school system. His marketing campaign blasted “woke” district attorneys for being soft on crime and he made it clear that as governor he would “hold everyone, and I mean everyone, accountable for violent crime.”
Strong stances in these areas garnered praise and support from Trump during the campaign. Trump endorsed Landry, saying, “He has been a fantastic Attorney General. He wants to stop crime. He loves the people of Louisiana just like I do.”
The governor-elect has also held strong support for parental rights in education. He pledged to sign a parental rights bill as governor and stop the “woke agenda” in schools throughout Louisiana.
Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards opened the door for a smooth transition as he congratulated Landry for his win and said the governor-elect campaigned on “important kitchen table issues.”
Key Takeaways:
- Republican unseats Democrat governor in unheralded weekend race.
- Louisiana governor’s race signals possible GOP momentum into 2024.
- GOP will have the governorship and hold majorities in the state legislature.
Source: The Daily Wire
