Both Louisiana senators John N. Kennedy and Bill Cassidy were considering running for Governor of Louisiana until Cassidy announced that he will not be running for Governor; making Kennedy the only Senator considering running for Governor.
Senator John N. Kennedy, who has just won re-election to the US Senate, says he is “giving serious consideration” to entering the 2023 Louisiana governor’s race. In a statement, Kennedy said he will be announcing “soon” whether he will run for governor or not.
Senator Bill Cassidy said he was also considering a run for Governor and would make a statement on that later this week. On Friday, Cassidy made the decision not to run for Governor. Cassidy said in a statement that he has been "working on specific legislation that is critical for the future of our state and country." "I don’t know if these solutions will pass, but I know they will not pass if I decide to run for another office," Cassidy said. "I have chosen to remain focused on the job I was sent here to do and to see these efforts through."
Louisiana's current Governor, democrat John Bel Edwards, is not able to run again due to being term-limited.
So far, only Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry confirmed that he will be running for Governor. Landry already recieved endorsement from Louisiana's Republican committee. The endorsement is being criticized by Cassidy, stating - "What a classic inside job. If you want the people in the proverbial backroom planning who is going to be the next governor, that was a nice little hat tip to that." Republicans Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and Treasurer John Schroder have started soft campaigns, hinting at a possible runs for Governor as well.
In a poll released by Kennedy, he leads the field with 21% of the vote with Landry the nearest Republican at 12.8%.
Senator Kennedy's statement from earlier this week can be read below:
I’ve spent my life and career serving the people of Louisiana. Becky and I raised our family here and are so proud to call it home. But we can’t deny that our great state is facing serious challenges. To meet those challenges, Louisiana families deserve a governor who can lead our state and help solve our toughest problems. Over the last year, Louisianians have asked me time and time again to come home to serve as governor during these difficult times. Becky and I love the people of Louisiana. 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.
We made a poll below, and we'd like for y’all to vote:
Who would you vote for Governor?
- 0%John Kennedy
- 0%Bill Cassidy
- 0%Jeff Landry