Early Voting Set Sept. 30-Oct. 7 For Governor, State Legislature

By Woody Jenkins, Editor, Central City News – Baton Rouge

Mail ballots for the Oct. 14 election were sent last week to voters who are over 65 or disabled.  In-person early voting will begin Saturday, Sept. 30 and continue through Saturday, Oct. 7.

The most impor-tant race on the Oct. 14 election ballot will be governor. Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry and Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson have been endorsed by the Republicans and Democrats respectively. According to most polls, Landry and Wilson are likely to run first and second, although not necessarily in that order. That would place the two of them in the Nov. 18 runoff five weeks later.  No Party candidate Hunter Lundy 

is running in a distant third place in some polls, followed by former LABI president Steve Waguespack, state Treasurer John Shroder, and Sen. Sharon Hewitt, all of whom are Republicans.

In a recent development, another Republican candidate, Rep. Richard Nelson, announced that he is dropping out of the race and endorsing Jeff Landry as the best choice.

Landry has been dominating the polls and fundraising.

In the final days of the campaign, attacks on the top candidates can be expected.

In some ways, the governor’s race has never really heated up as many expected.  Landry received the endorsement of the Republican Party of Louisiana late last year and the endorsement of the Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish in March.  He led from the earliest polls to the present.

Some big business leaders helped fund Waguespack’s entry into the race, but despite spending heavily, Waguespack campaign has not gotten the traction some of his supporters expected.

The Attorney General was endorsed early by former President Donald Trump, who remains very popular in the state.  Many voters identify Landry with Trump and see him as having a similar philosophy.

On the Democratic side, Shawn Wilson has cleared the field of serious Democratic opponents.  However, many Democratic leaders see the race as unwinnable, and a large Democratic turnout is not expected.

In the Baton Rouge area, the hot legislative races involve Republicans while few Democratic incumbents have opposition.  At present, there appears to be far more interest in the election on the Republican side than on the Democratic side.

Republicans have a two-thirds majority in the Louisiana House and Senate. They are expected to hold and possibly increase that majority by a couple of seats.