Jeremy Alford: Conservatives explore ways to gain legislative seats

As state lawmakers approach their final regular session of the term, outside players like donors, consultants and even other elected officials are plotting paths to gain more Republican seats in the House and Senate during the fall elections.

The effort in many ways begins and ends with the Louisiana Committee for a Conservative Majority, which was formed in 2007 to serve as a clearinghouse for most GOP efforts related to legislative elections.

Progress has been slow and steady for LCCM, culminating in 69 out of 105 House seats and 27 out of 39 Senate seats.

Donors and business lobbyists now jockey for posts on the LCCM board and candidates on the conservative spectrum aggressively seek the committee’s seal of approval. 

For conservative diehards, however, the job isn’t complete. Republican boosters want to pick up enough seats during this year’s election cycle to create a supermajority in the House to match the one that exists in the Senate. 

The next term of state government could be a heady one for Republicans if they elect one of their own as governor and hold supermajorities on both sides of the Capitol’s Memorial Hall.  

Could it actually happen? LCCM and its board members will meet later this month for a retreat to begin the work of doing just that.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy is now the lone chairman of LCCM, after Attorney General Jeff Landry relinquished his co-chair designation last year to run for governor. As he has done in the past, stakeholders expected Kennedy will be active not only in board meetings, but also in candidate interviews.

As for the governor’s race, LCCM is steering clear of the contest altogether.

In fact, the board plans to meet with other candidates for statewide office, but not those seeking the governorship.

While the board doesn’t want to get involved in other statewide races, either, candidates will be present at the retreat later this month for presentations.

Thus far there are conservative candidates on the agenda running for agriculture commissioner, attorney general, insurance commissioner, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and treasurer.

This will give individual board members the opportunity to meet with statewide candidates and — yes — donate to their campaigns individually and separately from LCCM. This new twist makes LCCM not only a clearinghouse for legislative strategy, but also (in a small way) a brokerage for GOP donations. 

The retreat will also serve as an opportunity for the board to get together and discuss the exact races LCCM will target in the House and Senate this fall. 

We’ll have to wait and see which contests make it into the crosshairs, but consultants see opportunities for House gains in Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee and Washington parishes, to name a few locales.

True believers think the GOP ranks in the House could jump from 69 currently to maybe 72 in the next term. 

Back in the Legislature, Senate Republicans have already held their own retreat and their House counterparts will soon follow suit, according to House Majority Leader Blake Miguez of New Iberia. That upcoming meeting of the House GOP will focus more on policy, but will serve as a precursor to the Republican Delegation discussing its own spending strategy for this fall. 

As for the Conservative Caucus, which maintains its own membership and related activities in the House, it has an upcoming planning session as well. Chairman Jack McFarland of Jonesboro said the Caucus is targeting a few different multi-day dates in March.

To be sure, Republicans are organized heading into the 2023 election year, particularly when it comes to House and Senate races. Democrats will likely to put up a good fight, but with the electorate and big dollar donations both trending Republican, good might not do the trick.

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