Control of two of Louisiana’s top executive offices and races that could decide supermajority control of the state Legislature are on the ballot in the state’s November 16 general election.
In Saturday’s primaries, candidates won an election outright to 12 of the state’s 15 executive offices and 114 out of 144 state legislative seats. Under the state’s blanket primary system, candidates won an election outright if they received more than 50% of the vote. Otherwise, the top two candidates advanced to a general election.
First-term Governor John Bel Edwards (D) and businessman Eddie Rispone (R) advanced in the gubernatorial election. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin (R) and Gwen Collins-Greenup (D) advanced in the race for that position.
Republicans are now guaranteed a majority in both houses of the state Legislature. So, a victory for Rispone would create a Republican trifecta, meaning the party controls both chambers of the legislature and the governor’s office. A victory for Edwards would preserve Louisiana’s divided government.
Republicans won 26 seats outright in the state Senate, a net gain of one seat and meeting the 26-seat threshold required to override gubernatorial vetoes, regardless of general election outcomes. All 39 of Louisiana’s state Senate seats were up for election. Although five seats advanced to a general election, partisan control of four is guaranteed to one party; three districts had a pair of Republicans advance while a fourth had a pair of Democrats.
Party control of eight state House seats will be decided in November. Including races where both general election candidates are from the same party and races which are too close to call where every candidate is from the same party, 63 seats are guaranteed to Republicans, 33 to Democrats, and one to an independent.
Republicans will be on the ballot in seven of those races and Democrats in up to six. Republicans can win a veto-proof majority in the state House by winning all seven races where they are on the ballot.
Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) won re-election outright, so Democrats cannot gain a state government triplex (control of the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state). If both Rispone and Ardoin win, Republicans will gain a triplex. If either Edwards or Collins-Greenup wins, Democrats will preserve Louisiana’s divided triplex status. Six other statewide executive offices, including the lieutenant governorship and attorney general’s office, were won outright by a Republican incumbent.
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