Dem
51
GOP
49
Louisiana held its jungle primaries this weekend, and the big result is that Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) took 51.6% of the vote in the race to replace term-limited Gov. John Bel Edwards (D). This eliminates the need for a runoff, and so Landry will be the next governor of the Bayou State.
The race for lieutenant governor was even more lopsided, as Lt. Gov. William Nungesser (R) was reelected with 65.5% of the vote. The two contests at the top of the ballot were such blowouts, it's a reminder that Edwards' two gubernatorial victories were enormous feats of political skill. He should really be someone whose name is bandied about for federal office—say, when the seat held by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is up in 2026. But we guess that "conservative enough to get elected in Louisiana" means that the national Democratic Party can't afford to hug Edwards too close.
If there was any good news for Democrats in this weekend's elections, it's that several statewide offices—Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer—will go to runoffs. The Republican will be the favorite in all cases, but the Democrats at least have a puncher's chance. If one of them can win, then that person will be the favorite to try to do what Edwards did, and claim the governor's mansion for the blue team in 2027 (or to run for Cassidy's Senate seat in 2026).
Landry's victory means that, as of January of next year, the only former Confederate State to have a Democratic governor will be North Carolina (keeping in mind that Kentucky was not a Confederate State). So, in a manner of speaking, the Force is (almost) in balance once again. (Z)