LA-GOV: Democrats have a path to holding Louisiana governorship, but they'll need GOP help
Former Louisiana Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson launched his long-awaited campaign on Monday to succeed his termed-out Gov. John Bel Edwards, and a win would make him the first African American elected statewide since Reconstruction. While Wilson doesn't have any serious opposition from fellow Democrats in sight, though, he'll be in for a difficult campaign this fall in a state that Donald Trump took 58-40, and where no Democrats other than Edwards have prevailed statewide in more than a decade.
We also got a reminder hours later that the Republican side of the Oct. 14 all-party primary roster remains unsettled when the Louisiana Illuminator's Julie O'Donoghue reported that Louisiana Association of Business and Industry head Stephen Waguespack, who hadn't previously shown any obvious interest in running, unexpectedly began telling his board members that evening that he'd announce his own campaign on Thursday. Waguespack, who took over as president and CEO of Louisiana's powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce chapter in 2013 after serving as chief of staff to then-GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal, did not respond to questions.
Waguespack is close friends with Republican Rep. Garret Graves, and O'Donoghue writes that this news likely means the congressman has decided to pass on the contest. Another Republican, state House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, also said last week he's interested in running if Graves sits it out, but it remains to be seen if he'd defer to Waguespack.
The all-party primary field before this week already consisted of self-funding independent Hunter Lundy and a quartet of notable Republicans: Attorney General Jeff Landry, Treasurer John Schroder, state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, and state Rep. Richard Nelson. In the likely event that no one secures a majority, a runoff would take place on Nov. 18 between the top-two vote-getters, regardless of party.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/3/7/2156610/-Morning-Digest-Democrats-have-a-path-to-holding-Louisiana-governorship-but-they-ll-need-GOP-help
