Jeremy Alford: Candidates and not-yet candidates for governor

As the 2023 field for governor continues to develop, the announced candidates (there are only a couple) and the maybe-candidates (there are at least 11) are beginning to seek out alliances, forge friendships and generally surround themselves with individuals and groups capable of paving a road to the Mansion.

Attorney General Jeff Landry and his supporters, for example, are said to be pushing for an early endorsement from the Louisiana Republican Party. Several members of the Republican State Central Committee say they have participated in high-level conversations about fast-tracking the nod.

A Landry spokesperson contacted via text had no comment, but RSCC members say the attorney general has personally made appeals and is finding
support. “Why not?” asked one RSCC member. “He’s the only Republican who has announced.”

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and Treasurer John Schroder, among many others, certainly deserve to be in the mix as top tier Republicans, but they’re technically not candidates in the 2023 race for governor — not yet.

Landry’s ability to court support alone from the state Republican Party is among the advantages of entering the fray early. In that arena, he has zero competition at the moment.

In fact, five weeks ago, there was only one other declared candidate for governor: personal injury attorney Hunter Lundy, an Independent from Lake Charles.

Today, Landry is in the field as well and even has an endorsement from Donald Trump Jr., the son of the former president.

No other contenders have offered formal announcements or endorsements — except Schroder, who made a soft announcement to key donors earlier this year indicating he would qualify in 2023.

Schroder also shared a stage last week with former Vice President Mike Pence, whose own relationship with the Trump family has increasingly cooled.
Schroder and Pence spoke separately at an energy summit hosted by the Advancing American Freedom Foundation.

Pence formed the foundation last year and has since used the conservative nonprofit to host policy summits and pay for millions of dollars in political ads in congressional races.

(The former vice president also recently suggested he may not support former President Donald Trump should he run for the White House again.)

While Schroder and Pence sharing a stage might contrast sharply against the Landry-Trump dynamic, the treasurer was actually at the energy summit representing the State Financial Officers Foundation as its national chairman.

Another team, meanwhile, is assembling around GOP Congressman Garret Graves of Baton Rouge and it has taken the form of the Delta Good Hand PAC.

The political action committee is currently underwriting pro-Graves television commercials in the New Orleans market.

Nial Patel of Cornerstone Government Affairs is listed as chairman of the state PAC.

Asked about the name of the PAC, Patel said, “Well, with Garret, Louisiana was dealt a good hand.”

Asked why the ad is playing in areas like St. Tammany and New Orleans, outside of the 6th Congressional District where Graves is seeking re-election this
year, Patel added, “With redistricting and all of those changes, we wanted to make sure new voters were introduced properly to Garret and there’s nowhere else to buy but into the New Orleans market.”

Patel said some of the individuals supporting the PAC would definitely like to see Graves run for governor. Should Graves decide to do that, we know a state
PAC (presumably holding money) will be ready and waiting.

Others who are either thinking about the race for governor or are rumored to be adjacent to the field include U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Baton Rouge, who is said to be leaning toward a run; activist Gary Chambers of Baton Rouge; West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard; state Sen. Sharon Hewitt of Slidell;

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy; state Rep. Richard Nelson of Mandeville; state Sen. Gary Smith of Norco; former U.S. Attorney Donald Washington of Lafayette; and state Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson of Lafayette.

For more Louisiana political news, visit www. LaPolitics.com or follow Alford on Twitter @ LaPoliticsNow