Louisiana Republican Party endorses Jeff Landry in 2023 governor's race

Louisiana's state Republican Party has endorsed GOP Attorney General Jeff Landry in the 2023 governor's race to the chagrin of other top potential candidates who claim Landry is trying to rig the campaign before everyone is at the gate.

As first reported by LaPolitics Weekly, the Louisiana Republican Party executive committee voted Sunday night to endorse Landry in an effort to coalesce support behind a single candidate.

The vote came after wealthy Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone and former Congressman Ralph Abraham, the top two Republicans in the 2019 race who were beaten by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, endorsed Landry last week and encouraged the party to follow suit.

"The unity in their endorsements is humbling because it reinforces that this campaign is not about me as a single candidate; it's about making a difference for all of us," Landry said last week. "They know more than anyone the importance of rallying behind a single campaign and that we need to start working now to build a statewide effort focused on victory in twelve short months. Our party is determined to learn from the mistakes of the past so we can bring about substantial improvements to this state we love."

But Republican Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and Republican Treasurer John Schroder, who are also expected to run for governor but haven't made formal announcements, balked at the early maneuvering.

"Almost a year out? This is more about money and inside party politics!," Schroder said Monday morning in a statement. "There’s still a lot of water that must pass under the bridge. Ultimately, the citizens of Louisiana must have candidates who present ideas and solutions to fix the problems of this state."

Nungesser told USA Today Network is endorsement "shameful."

"There's nothing more conservative or Republican than free market competition and this endorsement process looks more like Communist China than the Louisiana we love," Nungesser said.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana GOP endorses Jeff Landry; other Republican hopefuls cry foul