Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry emerged victorious in the state's gubernatorial race, according to projections by the AP.
Landry, 52, has been successful in raising the profile of the attorney general's office since his election in 2015. He has consistently used his position to advocate for conservative policy positions, as reported by the AP.
Conservative voting activist Scott Presler, who played a crucial role in mobilizing voters in the state, celebrated Landry's victory on Twitter. Presler expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating, "Spent a good part of the last year working on the Louisiana gubernatorial race. People thought I was crazy for thinking we could win outright. Congratulations Governor-Elect Jeff Landry. Thank you to everyone that wrote letters to new movers. Holy cow. We did it."
In a crowded field of over a dozen candidates in the jungle primary, where candidates from all parties compete on the same ballot, Landry emerged as the frontrunner. Initially, it was expected that the race would head to a runoff between the top two candidates if no one secured over 50 percent of the vote. However, Landry surpassed this threshold, securing more than half of the vote by late Saturday night.
With the support of former President Trump, Landry was widely anticipated to face Democrat Shawn Wilson in a runoff scheduled for November. However, Landry's strong performance on Saturday has given a significant boost to the GOP, particularly its conservative and populist wing.
This race serves as a crucial test for both Republicans and Democrats leading up to the 2024 elections. The outcome may indicate a favorable position for the Republicans as they approach the upcoming races this year and the subsequent presidential election year.
Landry is set to succeed the term-limited Gov. John Bel Edwards, who was the only Democratic governor in the South. This is a developing story, and further updates will be provided.
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