1st Candidate to Drop Out of Louisiana Governor’s Race

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The first candidate to drop out of the Governor's race is Republican Richard Nelson.  He announced on social media Wednesday morning.  He has endorsed the leading candidate and fellow Republican Jeff Landry.  LaPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford said Nelson’s decision is a bit of a surprise…

“Especially in a race that really could be described as sleepy. A lot of folks are wondering if this is going to kind of be the first in a number of folks kind of backing away from the ballot because this is traditionally the time this happens,” said Alford.

Since the race has passed the qualification deadlines, Nelson’s name will still appear on the October 14^th ballot.  Alford said the youngest formidable candidate in the race was polling in the single digits. In his statement, Nelson says he plans to pursue opportunities in the private sector.  But Alford says the endorsement of Landry could prove interesting…

“If you go back and you look at your history, you’ll see that candidates who either dropped out or ended up endorsing frontrunners end up with some pretty cushy jobs, ranging from Commissioner of Administration to Executive Counsel,” said Alford.

 

Nelson released his statement via social media:

Today, I am withdrawing from the #lagov race, and endorsing @JeffLandry.

I am proud of the impact we've made on this race, and thankful for my supporters and especially my family for the sacrifices they've made.

My heart will always be committed to Louisiana, and that is why I… pic.twitter.com/IPBvpqhxK4

— Richard Nelson (@NelsonforLA) September 20, 2023

With Nelson's departure, there are now six candidates left in the race, four Republicans, one Democrat, and one Independent.  Alford said it remains to be seen how Nelson pulling his name from contention and endorsing the front-runner will play out.

“The polling trends seem to be pretty firm, at this hour, but of course, between now and election day is an eternity in terms of a political timeline, so we’ll just have to wait and see,” said Alford.

Early voting for the October 14^th primary begins September 30^th.