After previously hinting he would, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) announced he would not be running for the governorship of Louisiana.
The Louisiana gubernatorial race will decide who takes the seat of Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat in a deeply red state. The state has laws setting term limits, so he will step down after the 2023 election and open up an opportunity for Republicans to turn the entire Deep South red.
Kennedy was seen as the front-runner and had hinted at a run in November. However, he announced on Wednesday that he would instead focus on being a senator, not running for governor.
SEN. JOHN KENNEDY CONSIDERING LOUISIANA GOVERNOR BID AS LAGOP ISSUES CONTROVERSIAL ENDORSEMENT
“I have looked into my heart and decided to remain in the Senate and not to run for governor,” Kennedy wrote in an email to supporters. “At this juncture, I just think I can help my state and my country more in the Senate.”
His turnaround is a noted departure from a statement released in mid-November when he announced his “serious consideration.”
“Over the last year, Louisianians have asked me time and time again to come home to serve as governor during these difficult times,” he said in a statement. “We’ve always listened to them, so I am giving serious consideration to entering the governor’s race. I’ll be announcing my decision soon.”
The about-face mirrors almost the exact same pattern from 2018. Kennedy teased a gubernatorial run before backing out.
Kennedy was so highly favored in polls that he effectively froze the Republican field; his announcement is likely to bring an avalanche of new candidates, according to the Daily Advertiser. The election is only nine months away.
With Kennedy out of the race, Attorney General Jeff Landry is the front-runner. He’s the only Republican candidate to enter the race, and he has already secured the state GOP nomination.
Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser is close behind — or in front, depending on who you ask. He recently released a poll, commissioned by himself, showing him 1 percentage point ahead of Landry.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Treasurer John Schroder, Baton Rouge congressman Garret Graves, state Sen. Sharon Hewitt of Slidell, and state Rep. Richard Nelson of Mandeville are other Republican contenders in the race. Only a single Democrat is considered viable — Edwards’s secretary of transportation, Shawn Wilson, who was polling at 23% in Nungesser’s poll.
