2 Former Candidates for Louisiana Governor Endorse Jeff Landry

About a month ago, Jeff Landry decided it was time to throw his name into the race to be Louisiana's next governor.

While there are other candidates who have admitted to considering a run for the position - such as Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and Treasurer John Schroder, Landry made the announcement with a challenge to Louisiana voters.

This election is not about me. It’s about you. I cannot do this alone. We must join together to build the Louisiana we want, the one we need and the one we deserve. The time for excuses is over.

In the last governor's race, Republican challengers businessman Eddie Rispone and former U.S. Congressman Ralph Abraham had a bitter primary as the two jockeyed for the opportunity to defeat incumbent John Bel Edwards in the runoff. The race turned bitter when the Rispone campaign began airing negative ads against Abraham, which helped Rispone rise above Abraham among GOP voters and catapulted him into the runoff where Edwards won re-election.

The fracture between Rispone and Abraham contributed to Rispone's loss against Edwards as many Abraham voters simply stayed home in the runoff and refused to support Rispone.

Well now, Rispone and Abraham are now on the same page - they are both endorsing Jeff Landry to be Louisiana's next governor, as first reported by The Advertiser.

I had a front-row seat to what happens when a party as strong as ours goes into a gubernatorial runoff divided and distracted from winning," Abraham said in an email to his supporters. "As a party, we must ask ourselves how we stop this train wreck from repeating again. We need to take a long, hard look in the mirror. The path to victory requires unity and preparedness."

“A few people have indicated that they will run for governor, but only Jeff Landry has made a formal announcement,” Rispone wrote in an email to members of the Republican State Central Committee. “Considering those that have indicated they will run, I have decided to support Jeff Landry. I encourage other RSCC members to consider doing the same, so we can start organizing ourselves around the state and ensure the election of a strong conservative governor.”

With these two big GOP names now backing Landry, who's next? Will this alter any planned announcements by other candidates looking to run? Is this enough to unite the Louisiana Republican Party behind Landry?

These, and many more questions, will be answered as we jump onto the path to the 2023 election, even as the 2022 elections are still in full swing.