Louisiana Attorney General, and lifetime NRA member, Jeff Landry (R) was recently elected to be the next governor of the Bayou State in what can only be described as a win for constitutional freedoms.
Landry, who won by more than 25 points over his closest challenger, promised to sign into law constitutional carry in the state if elected.
“The current governor of this state [John Bel Edwards] has vetoed constitutional carry, but we’re going in and passing that,” Landry told Breitbart. “I support further strengthening the right of our citizens, their ability to exercise the Second Amendment of the constitution, and I will be focused on any way that we can strengthen that at the state level.”
The Louisiana State Legislature passed constitutional carry legislation in 2021, which was supported by the NRA, but then Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) vetoed the legislation. The Louisiana State Senate subsequently upheld Edwards’ veto by a vote of 23-15, despite previously voting 27-9 in favor of the bill.
In a statement on the veto, Edwards said he believes the “majority of Louisianans agree with [him].” Landry’s landslide victory seemingly indicates otherwise.
“Congratulations to NRA Life Member, Governor-elect @JeffLandry, on his victory! Thank you to NRA members and gun owners for voting. A brighter future for freedom awaits in Louisiana,” wrote the NRA on X.
Landry was endorsed in his campaign by the NRA Political Victory Fund (PVF) and received an A+ rating, the highest a candidate can receive.
“As Attorney General, Landry has shown unwavering dedication to our Second Amendment rights,” stated NRA-PVF Chairman Randy Kozuch. “From advocating for national concealed-carry reciprocity to defending gun owners' rights in landmark cases such as NYSRPA v. Bruen, Attorney General Landry has been a true champion for our cause.”
Speaking about the endorsement, Landry said, “I’m a lifetime member of the NRA and I believe in the mission. Look, we’ve got a number of gun rights organizations out there, and the NRA’s been the leader in that space. and to have their endorsement speaks volumes about my record defending the Second Amendment.”
Landry’s victory was somewhat of a surprise; not that he won, but when he won. Polls consistently had Landry in the lead throughout the campaign, and he was expected to lead all candidates after the votes were tallied. But Louisiana holds an open primary—sometimes referred to as a “jungle primary”—where all candidates, irrespective of party affiliation, are on the ballot during the first of two rounds of voting. In this case, the ballot included more than a dozen candidates, including two Democrats, several Republicans, and a few independent candidates.
America’s 1st Freedom will keep you up to date on what happens in Louisiana, including if it joins the growing number of states getting out of the way of our constitutional freedoms.
