LA-GOV: Republican Senator John Kennedy out of Louisiana governor's race

[RandySF]

Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy said he won't run for governor of Louisiana this year, which is likely to trigger a flood of on-the-fence candidates to jump into the race.

In November, shortly after winning a second, six-year Senate term in a landslide victory, Kennedy said he would give the governor's race "serious consideration" and released a poll showing him as the front-runner, but ended speculation Wednesday.

"I have looked into my heart and decided to remain in the Senate and not to run for governor," Kennedy said in an email to supporters. "At this juncture, I just think I can help my state and my country more in the Senate."

Kennedy's announcement puts Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry, who has already secured the state GOP endorsement, as the clear leader out of the gate and the only major candidate to have officially announced.



https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2023/01/04/louisiana-senator-john-kennedy-wont-run-for-governor-whos-up-next/69779279007/

[billcomp1]

1. This person is not a good namesake for JFK

Hi, not to be mean, but this gentleman is not good for Louisiana, never mind the country.

He has said some rather silly things and tried to be "cute" but it never came off well, in my opinion.
As Charles Pierce wrote in Esquire: "He’s a smart, vicious Republican of the new school, and no amount of sweet tea can obscure the taste of bile."

Another article back in 2018 when he was new on the scene in the Senate, an article in CNN pointed out how clever his comments were. They may be clever, but he's become a detractor to progressive ideas.

He is not as abrasive as the likes of Jim Jordan or Matt Gaetz, but he is far from someone who inspires my confidence on the other side of the aisle.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. He's a nasty piece of work

who I watched in action during the confirmation hearings for now-Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson. A sampling of how he projects his own faults onto her -

Welcome to DU!

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Not to mention, he's highly educated, but hides it well...

[panader0]

10. Welcome to DU

[Delphinus]

12. Welcome to DU!

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Thank you for this update

because I remember when he floated the idea of resigning to run for governor. I have a feeling he even mulled it because he figured they wouldn't need his vote assuming the GOP would deal Democrats a shellacking in both chambers in 2022 leaving him free to bow out. But when that didn't happen (and Democrats actually gained a seat but it took some time for the final results to come out which happened well after he made his remarks), he may have decided to stay to take the uncertainty out of keeping that seat GOP (since (D)s have won Senate seats in LA in the past, although they were eventually booted - e.g., Mary Landrieu for basically being Sinema-like). LA apparently has a jungle-primary type of system.

[rampartc]

5. if kennedy lost a bid for governor

he could continue as senator.

if he wins he appoints his successor in the senate. that seat remains repub either way.

but it is good that this vanderbilt/oxford educated refugee from green acres will not be our governor.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. There would still have to be a special election

even with an appointment to temporarily fill the position - http://legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=81285

But I agree, he doesn't belong anywhere...

[rampartc]

8. john bel edwards just might win a special election

he is the first governor in louisiana history to be untainted by corruption and has been an excellent leader during several natural disasters, the pandemic, and blm civil unrest. bobby jindal spent us unto oblivion to get his 1% in the new hampshire primary and there are near supermajority repubs in the legislature with repubs in all other statewide elected offices.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. Exactly

which is what I was hinting at why I thought Kennedy may have decided to stay where he is once the final outcome of the 2022 election was known (he had floated the possibility right after his landslide win but well before other Senate races were decided).

I.e., the potential is there in your state given some of old LA Dem political families.

I still laugh at the astronomically quick rise and fall of Bobby Jindal!

[rampartc]

4. we expect our next governor to be the extremely regressive atty gen landry

john bel edwards is term limited and no democrat from orleans or east baton rouge can be elected statewide.

landry, with a supermajority legislature, will be worse than even bobby jindal.

democrats next best shot is for edwards to win a senate seat (cassidy in 2026 or kennedy in 2928)

note to joe biden :edwards would be a great appointee to homeland security or fema, but might be difficult to confirm.

[jcgoldie]

11. He "looked into his heart"

And found nothing