Senator Bill Cassidy says he's not running for governor of Louisiana. In a statement released Friday, Sen. Cassidy said he was focused on his Senate position and legislation that he says will have major impacts on Louisiana and the nation at large.
His senate colleague, John Kennedy, says he will announce "soon" he will seek Louisiana's highest office.
One analyst says he expects Kennedy to leap into the race.
"Judging from his preannouncement statement, it seems like he's leaning towards getting into this race," UL Monroe political science professor Pearson Cross said. "Now, maybe he likes the Hamlet role: will I, or will I not. He says in his announcement that 'we can't deny our great state is facing serious challenges' and Louisiana deserves a governor to meet those, and lines like that suggest that he's going to get into the gubernatorial race."
How would a Kennedy candidacy impact other Republicans thinking about running?
"Regardless of what Kennedy does, a couple of the candidates, like (Lieutenant Governor) Billy Nungesser and (Treasurer John) Schroder are, for all intents and purposes, already declared," Cross said. "I think they're going to hang around and just see what the polls look like and continue fundraising and doing what they can.
"As far as other people who might be considering the race like Garrett Graves or Sharon Hewitt, I think they're going to hang back, and if John Kennedy does in fact jump into the race, they're going to be gone. They're not going to contest with him."
Cross says a Kennedy candidacy would complicate matters for the Louisiana Republican Party, which endorsed Attorney General Jeff Landry shortly after he announced his run for governor.
"It's hard to tell what the state party is going to do," Cross said, noting that the GOP's endorsement of Landry may have been an attempt to limit a crowded field of candidates.
If Kennedy runs, Cross says the party may have to make an about face.
"Clearly, if John Kennedy, who is, perhaps, the biggest dog of all the big dogs in the Republican Party, jumps into the race, then they're going to have to back up," Cross said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see them move back to a position of just vote for a Republican."
Cross says on the Democratic Party side of the race, two names that have been mentioned are DOTD secretary Shawn Wilson and former New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu. Cross notes that any run for governor by a Democrat would be an uphill battle.
"Right now, there's disarray on the Democratic side."
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