Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry is in the midst of a rough political patch. A recall effort against him is under way, and last weekend, voters overwhelmingly rejected five constitutional amendments he championed.
Does this mean Landry is vulnerable when he seeks reelection next year?
One analyst says: not quite.
"Politically speaking, Jeff Landry has seen better days, but we're not seeing his final days," LA Politics publisher Jeremy Alford said. "He's in an incredibly strong position for reelection."
According to Alford, that strong position includes a sizable war chest.
"He's got $10.7 million cash on hand," Alford said, adding that Landry has more than double in the bank what John Bel Edwards had at this point in his first term as governor.
Alford adds that Landry has the benefit of having no major challengers from either party.
"Anyone who's thinking about that would have to think long and hard about what their chances are and what it would mean to their political careers to do that and to lose to Jeff Landry," Alford said of the possibility of a Republican challenging Landry. "If there is a Democrat, I'm not sure who that would be. Democrats could barely field a marketable candidate for the U. S. Senate race this year."
Alford says there are no indications that former Governor John Bel Edwards will run against Landry next year.
"If John Bel is interested in doing that, he hasn't made any very public moves about that," Alford said.
