Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry won the state's gubernatorial election outright on Saturday, defeating a field of 14 candidates, including Democrat Shawn Wilson. Landry received 52% of the vote, while Wilson received 26%.
Landry's victory is a significant one, as he is the first non-incumbent to win the governorship without a runoff since Bobby Jindal in 2007. It is also the first time a Republican has won the governorship since 2015.
In his victory speech, Landry called for unity and said he was ready to start putting smiles on the faces of the people of Louisiana. He also pledged to focus on the issues of education, infrastructure, and economic development.
"I have said from the beginning that our state is blessed with the most hardworking, courageous, fun-loving, wonderful people in the world," Landry said. "We care about our values, we're strong in faith. We care about our friends, our family and our community."
Landry also said that Louisiana is ready to become "one team that rejects the past and embraces the future."
"This election was always about the people in this state," Landry said. "And we're gonna start putting smiles on the faces of the people of this state."
However, Landry's victory was also marred by low voter turnout. Only 35% of registered voters cast ballots in the election. This is down from 46% in the 2019 gubernatorial primary and 62% in the 2016 general election.
Landry will be inaugurated as the 57th governor of Louisiana on January 8, 2024.