Clean Sweep: Republicans Now Hold Every Elected Position in State
The Republican takeover of the state of Louisiana is practically complete with this month’s elections giving the GOP full control of all the top offices in the state.
In October, Republican Jeff Landry won outright his election to governor. It was a surprise outcome because many did not expect the Republican to win more than 50 percent of the vote, and it was assumed he would be forced to stand in a runoff election.
Instead, Landry beat Democrat Shawn Wilson, thereby flipping the governor’s office from Democrat to Republican. Landry will replaced Democrat John Bel Edwards who had been term-limited from seeking re-election.
Thankful beyond belief. I’m ready to get to work for Louisiana!
— Jeff Landry (@JeffLandry) October 15, 2023
While October’s surprise was amazing enough, the GOP just followed that up with a three-peat after Election Day on Saturday.
Republicans came away the winners of the races for the Secretary of State’s office, and the Treasurer and Attorney General’s offices.
This is an amazing sweep for the GOP. It wasn’t but a few years ago that everyone considered Louisiana to be a permanently blue state. But times have certainly changed.
As of Saturday, the GOP will lead the state unencumbered starting in January when these new officeholders take their place at the head of government.
Nancy Landry (no relation to Governor-elect Jeff Landry) won her race for Secretary of State and will become the first woman to ever hold that office in the Pelican State, according to Just the News. Landry won with 66.8 percent of the vote and trounced her Democratic opponent, Gwen Collins-Greenup, who only won 33.2 percent of the vote.
“I am grateful to the voters of Louisiana for the trust they have placed in me … My message of competent, conservative experience resonated with voters across our state,” Nancy Landry said in a statement, according to the Times-Picayune. “I look forward to getting to work right away to make Louisiana No. 1 in election integrity.”
In another first for the state, Liz Murrill won her race for Attorney General and will become the first woman ever elected to that position in Louisiana history. Murrill is replacing her current boss, Jeff Landry, who will become governor, according to the Shreveport Times.
Murrill also handily beat her Democratic rival, Lindsey Cheek. Murrill won 66.37 percent of the vote to Cheek’s 33.63 percent.
Finally, Republican John Fleming won his race for State Treasurer, winning 65.44 percent of the vote to Democratic candidate Dustin Granger’s 34.56 percent.
Fleming said he was very excited to come to office at “a time that is unique in the history of Louisiana.”
“We have I think the recipe that will be well-positioned to, with the support of the people of Louisiana, finally solve many of the problems that we’ve had in Louisiana for many, many decades,” Fleming added.
Saturday’s result gives the GOP a 100 percent lock on all the state’s top offices as well as control of the state Senate and House of Representatives. The GOP is back after only having full control of the top positions between 2011 and 2015, before losing the governor’s office between 2016 and 2023.
But, aside from this recent lean towards GOP control — along with controlling solely the governor’s chair from 1996 to 2003 — the Democrats have pretty much controlled Louisiana for decades before, according to Ballotpedia.
The GOP also controls the second tier of state offices including, Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, and Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. Strain also became the first Republican in state history to win the AG office.
On top of that, both Louisiana U.S. Senators, Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, are also Republicans. So, the GOP is ascendant in the Pelican State.
It is just more evidence that the once Democrat-dominant American South is a place almost as long dead as the Civil War as Republicans continue to grow in strength all across the South and near West, spurred by greater freedoms, lower taxes, and a stronger business climate.
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