No candidates have officially announced for the 2023 Louisiana Governor’s race yet, but UNO pollster and Political Science Professor Ed Chervenak told WWL the most likely contestants with any chance so far are the state’s two US Senators, Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, along with Lt. Governor Bill Nungesser and Treasurer John Schroder.
Those are all Republicans, and for now, there do not appear to be any strong Democratic contenders ready to replicate incumbent, but term-limited Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards. Chervenak said in this deep red state the party’s best bet is to go back to the well and draw up another JBE, and hope Republicans get stuck in another brutal GOP on GOP mud fight.
“You need a moderate Democrat against a weak Republican candidate and that is the recipe to be success in the state,” Chervenak said about Democrats’ odds next year.
What about the state’s senior US Senator? Bill Cassidy is a Republican but UNO polling puts his approval at 31% overall, and actually higher among Democrats than Republicans. Chervenak said that doesn’t mean Cassidy will be switching sides if he runs.
“If anything he might run as an independent, not a Democrat,” said Chervenak.
Cassidy’s vote to impeach Donald Trump has soured him with a large part of the Republican Party. Chervenak said those pro-Trump GOP voters are the most straightforward way for a Republican to get to the mansion.
“It might be a bit more difficult for him to do that as opposed to other candidates who would basically appeal to that Trump Republican base,” said Chervenak who added Cassidy’s only hope is to build a bipartisan coalition as his base.
