GOP Celebrates as Republican Candidate Retakes Governor’s Office

(NationRise.com) – Attorney General Jeff Landry won the governor’s race in Louisiana on October 14, representing a significant victory for the Republican Party and former President Donald Trump — who was one of his principal backers. With this victory, the GOP reclaimed the governor’s mansion after losing it in 2015. Landry will be replacing the current Democratic Louisiana Governor, John Bel Edwards, who is the only Democratic governor in the United States’ Deep South.

In his victory speech, Landry told the crowd that the election results showed Louisiana was “united” and that the victory represented a “wake-up call” that everyone should hear. He explained that the message the election results tell is that the people of Louisiana will expect more from the government from now on.

By gaining over half of the votes, the Republican leader prevented a runoff under Louisiana’s so-called “jungle primary system,” which is what most political analysts expected before the election. The last time the state didn’t have to go through a gubernatorial runoff was in 2011 when GOP leader Bobby Jindal won the election.

Landry, who described his victory as “historic,” raised the profile of attorney general since the moment he took office back in 2016. He has been using his office to support conservative policy positions and even championed Louisiana laws that have drawn controversy. These include the near-total abortion ban, along with the banning of gender-affirmative medical care for transgender teenagers and children.

Over the last few years, Landry has been constantly clashing with Edwards over numerous matters such as the state finances, the death penalty, and LGBTQ rights. However, Landry has also put Louisiana in national discussions, including over the Biden administration’s policies that limit gas and oil production.

The Republican leader represented the state’s 3rd US Congressional District on Capitol Hill in 2011. He served for over ten years in the state’s Army National Guard before starting his political career.