Jeff Landry gets Trump endorsement in Louisiana governor’s race
Ryan King
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Former President Donald Trump backed Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry in the crowded race for governor.
“I am endorsing your Attorney General Jeff Landry for governor. He has been a fantastic attorney general. He wants to stop crime. He loves the people of Louisiana just like I do,” Trump declared in a video statement.
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Landry announced his intention to run for governor last year, just before the midterm elections. He is striving to fill a seat being vacated by Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-LA), who is term-limited. He welcomed Trump’s endorsement.
“I am honored to have the endorsement of President Donald Trump. And I am grateful for his kind words,” Landry tweeted along with Trump’s video endorsement.
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Trump’s backing was expected as Landry has been a key ally of Trump dating back to the 2016 election cycle. Landry visited Trump’s Florida home in April, according to his campaign.
Landry is squaring off with multiple rivals such as Stephen Waguespack, former CEO of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Treasurer John Schroder, state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, and state Rep. Richard Nelson. On the Democratic side, former Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson announced his plan to run.
Under Louisiana law, all candidates run against each other on Oct. 14 in a “jungle” primary. Should all candidates fail to top 50%, then the top two will advance to a runoff on Nov. 18.
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So far, Landry has been topping his rivals in the campaign circuit. He previously represented the state’s 3rd Congressional District from 2011 to 2013, after he lost to Republican Charles Boustany in a newly crafted district.
As attorney general, Landry has taken on a number of hot-button conservative causes. Last year, he managed to win the deposition of a slew of Biden administration officials, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, in a lawsuit alleging government coordination with Big Tech to trample free speech online.