Landry wins outright, three state races to be decided in November

BATON ROUGE — Jeff Landry will become Louisiana’s 57th governor, claiming the governorship in a surprising and historic victory among a crowded field.

GET UPDATES FROM LOUISIANA SECRETARY OF STATE

“Tonight’s election says that our state is united, and it’s a wakeup call,” Landry told supporters Saturday night. “It’s a message that we are going to expect more out of our government.”

Polls showed Landry would likely be forced into a runoff, but thanks to a loaded campaign war chest that allowed him to blast his message on TV across the state, he was able to avoid a November election. He will succeed Gov. John Bel Edwards in January.

Landry won 52% of the vote. Democrat Shawn Wilson, who underperformed across the state, was only able to capture 26% of the vote. Landry’s Republican challengers never made it out of single digits. Landry carried nearly every parish excluding East Baton Rouge Parish, Orleans Parish and East Carroll.

Landry’s win means Republicans now control every statehouse in the Deep South.

Republicans led three other statewide races, but they will face Democratic challengers in the November runoff.

Secretary of State

A Democrat and a Republican will square-off in a very close Secretary of State’s race in November.

Nancy Landry and Gwen Collins-Greenup earned enough votes to head to a run-off. 812 votes separate the candidates. The two women beat a crowded field that included Louisiana’s Speaker of the House.

The new secretary of state will be in charge of replacing the state’s aging voting machines, a task that has been the source of criticism and a reason that many believe Ardoin is not seeking another term.

Attorney General

Republican Liz Murrill, who was appointed Solicitor General under AG Landry in 2016, will head to a run-off against Democrat Lindsey Cheek in the state’s Attorney General race.

Murrill got 45% of the vote, but was short of the votes needed to avoid a run-off. Cheek captured 23% of the vote. Republican John Stefanski was the next closest challenger with 17% of the vote.

Treasurer

Republican John Fleming, a former Congressman and senior advisor under Pres. Donald Trump, will face Democrat Dustin Granger, a Lake Charles financial advisor, in the November runoff.

Fleming won 44% of the vote to Granger’s 32%.