BATON ROUGE — Crime is the No. 1 issue facing East Baton Rouge Parish followed closely by transportation, and those two issues were pivotal in helping the Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish decide to endorse Attorney General Jeff Landry for Governor, according to parish Republican chairman and former Rep. Woody Jenkins. The election is Oct. 14.
Observers believe the Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish is the most influencial local Republican Party in the state and that its endorsement is second only to the Louisiana Republican Party in its impact. This endorsement effectively closes the door on other Republican candidates who may choose to challenge Landry, Jenkins said.
Jenkins issued the following statement on behalf of the Republican Party: “Jeff Landry grew up in St. Martinville in the heart of Cajun country. His roots in our state go back nearly 300 years. He is truly a man of the people. He began by working in the sugar cane fields and joined the Army National Guard while still in high school. His 11 years in our military included service as a decorated veteran of Desert Storm.”
“Jeff Landry began in law enforcement as a St. Martin Parish sheriff’s deputy, which gave him first-hand experience fighting crime on the streets. Along the way, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Louisiana in environmental and sustainable resources with a minor in biology. He then began his own oil and gas environmental service company. He also served as executive director of the St. Martin Parish Economic Development Authority. These experiences helped him understand the effect of overregulation on the oil and gas industry, which is so vital to the Louisiana economy.”
“With a strong desire to protect individual rights under the Constitution, Jeff worked his way through the Loyola University Law School, working during the day and going to school at night. He graduated with his Juris Doctor degree in 2004. He practiced law until his election to the United States Congress from Louisiana’s 3rd District in 2008 and served two terms in Congress, where he was considered one of the most conservative members.”
“In 2015, he was elected Louisiana Attorney General, a position which allowed him to earn a place of honor in state history as a result of his stand for the Constitution during the lockdown of the state beginning in March 2020.”
“Attorney General Jeff Landry was the only statewide elected official in Louisiana who stood up against Gov. John Bel Edwards’ illegal, unconstitutional orders locking down our cities, ordering businesses to close, shutting down churches across the state, closing schools, ordering millions of our citizens to wear worthless masks, and trying to force people to get vaccines they did not want.”
“General Landry not only spoke out against these blatant violations of the U.S. Constitution and the Louisiana Constitution, but he sprung into action. He went into court, filing numerous suits and friend of the court briefs to fight violations of the First Amendment, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Assembly, the Right to Property, and the Right to Privacy. Moreover, many of those suits have been successful, ending vaccine mandates not only in Louisiana but nationwide. In fact, he has successfully sued the federal government for violating the Constitution more than any Attorney General in the United States.”
“As Attorney General, he has continued fighting crime. He created the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation to carry the fight against crime to a higher level and the Louisiana Solicitor General’s office to handle major litigation in cases that impact Louisiana as they made their way to the U. S. Supreme Court.”
“We are very impressed by Jeff Landry’s opposition to Shawn Wilson’s bizarre $1.6 billion plan for Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge. This $1.6 billion plan would tear down I-10 from the bridge to the I-12 split, take 16 years to complete, and reduce traffic on the Interstate to one or two lanes for years. This would virtually destroy the Baton Rouge economy. Everyone should oppose this plan because it circumvents the public bid law and wastes enormous resources needed for projects across the state. We favor a reasonable plan for $100 million that would simply add one lane on each side of the Interstate, while keeping our economy running.”
“As President of the National Association of Attorneys General, Jeff Landry has been a strong and influential leader. He has used those outstanding connections to form alliances with attorneys general from other states in his suits against the overreach of the federal government.”
“Jeff Landry has the conservative philosophy, the character, and the courage to help Louisiana fulfill its potential, creating a prosperous, safe, moral, and compassionate place to live, work, and raise a family.”
“Republican Parish Executive Committee members interviewed Jeff Landry for 90 minutes and were very favorably impressed by his grasp of the important issues facing the state and his vision for the future. He fully responded to the party’s questionnaire with answers that showed his commitment to conservative principles.”
“The Republican Party believes Jeff Landry is the best candidate for Governor and one of the finest candidates for any office we have seen in years, and we fully support him,” Jenkins said. “We will be campaigning for him at the grassroots level in East Baton Rouge Parish and do everything in our power to help him be elected.”