Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

It took him eight years to get where many will say that he’s always wanted, and on Saturday, October 14, 2023, Jeff Landry made it to the mountaintop of Louisiana politics when he won the governorship outright with 52% of the vote. The outcome of the race was not a surprise, as Landry was expected to win in a conservative-red Louisiana. Still, many anticipated a run-off between Landry and Democrat contender Shawn Wilson. John Bel Edwards may have just been the last Democrat to sit in the governor’s mansion, as the state has gone further to the right politically. In his victory speech, Landry said that his win was “a wake-up call”, and “that it was a clear signal...it’s a message that everyone should hear loud and clear. That we, the people of this state, are going to expect more out of our government from here on out”. And with those words, one shouldn’t expect “less government” as conservatives have led many to believe but expect more government through laws that Landry is expected to undo most if not all that Edwards did in his eight years in office. One should not forget that Landry, as Attorney General, was a thorn in Edwards’ side as the two leaders had two widely different beliefs in governing. Landry’s win will give Donald Trump something to crow about, as the Republican leading presidential contender endorsed Landry very early in his campaign. However, given the political nature of Louisiana politics since Edwards’ second win, the Legislature is overwhelmingly conservative with veto-proof majorities. Edwards used the veto pen 319 times, which showed that even with the opposition he faced almost daily from Republicans, some would say that he was an effective governor. But with Landry in power, the veto pen will be gathering dust. How Landry will govern is not exactly an “open question” with abortion one of the central issues that he was a part of when he was AG. If the Legislature brings any kind of abortion bills to his desk, he would be expected to sign them. But one bill that Landry would not sign or even agree to is the pending case of what to do about Louisiana having a second predominately Black voting district. Landry has gone to the Supreme Court numerous times, including the second Black voting district case that is now in appeal, but this is not one of the times where he agreed with the court’s ruling. Where will the governor-elect be when it comes to issues affecting Black voters in the state, ranging from education to healthcare and social programs? What will be his plans/goals during his first 100 days in office? How far across the aisle will he reach? Will he try to turn Louisiana into “Florida lite” by emulating some of the things that Ron DeSantis has done in Florida? If Landry stays true to his word, that “clear signal” that he meant will be the green light along with the aid of the Legislature to not only undo what Edwards was able to do but will some say “turn back” the clock on the progress that has been achieved under Democratic leadership in the governor’s mansion over the last 15 years. Remember what Bobby Jindal did in his eight years in office? Are we about to face a Jindal repeat? We shall see.