After months of speculation and hints that he would be running for governor in 2023, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry formally announced his candidacy for the state's highest office on Wednesday.
In a video posted to his social media pages, Landry told his life story and outlined his campaign platform.
According to LAPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford, Landry's bid for governor was one of the worst kept secrets in Louisiana politics Baton Rouge.
"Everyone's been running with a wink and a smile," Alford said of Landry and other state officials who have been hinting at runs for governor. "Finally we can at least move past that with Attorney General Jeff Landry."
"He's going to have the most sophisticated campaign operation in the field, from fundraising to staffing level," Alford said.
Despite Landry's announcement, Alford says he doesn't expect other potential candidates to make their announcements immediately.
"A lot is going to hinge on what happens with this federal election cycle," Alford said, noting that Baton Rouge Representative Garrett Graves and Senator Bill Cassidy are considering runs for governor. Alford also said State Senator Sharon Hewitt and former United States Attorney Donald Washington are considering entering the race.
"There are more than a dozen people who have said they are interested in this race that I'm tracking in my own reporting," Alford said. "It's an open race for governor. We haven't seen that in eight years. So it's going to draw a lot of interest."
Still, Alford says he expects the race to pick up in a big way as we get closer to October 14, 2023.
"I will go out on a limb and say this will be the most expensive race for governor that Louisiana has ever seen," Alford said. "I think we could see it approach $100 million spent altogether."
