Louisiana Republicans secure monopoly on statewide offices after sweeping elections Saturday

Republicans swept the Louisiana attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer runoff election races Saturday with landslide wins, giving the GOP a monopoly on all statewide offices in the state.

Liz Murrill will be Louisiana's first woman to serve as attorney general, while Nancy Landry won the secretary of state's office to become the state's chief elections officer and John Fleming will oversee the state bank as treasurer.

All three are new to their offices.

Murrill replaces her current boss Jeff Landry, a Republican who won the governor's race outright in the Oct. 14 primary election in a crowded field.

Landry replaces her current boss Kyle Ardoin, a Republican who has been secretary of state since 2018 but didn't run for reelection.

And Fleming replaces Republican John Schroder, who gave up the office to make an unsuccessful bid for governor.

Saturday's three wins solidified the Republicans' growing stranglehold in Louisiana.

For only the second time in modern history the GOP will hold every statewide office. The only other time Republicans had a lock on statewide offices was 2015 before Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards was inaugurated in 2016 for the first of his two terms. Edwards was term limited couldn't run again this cycle.

Fleming, Landry and Murrill join Gov.-elect Landry, Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, the incumbent who won without opposition, new Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, who ran without opposition after incumbent Jim Donelon didn't seek reelection, and U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy.

Republicans also strengthened their super majorities in both the state House and Senate during this election cycle.

In Saturday's elections:

Murrill defeated Democrat Lindsey Cheek by winning 66% of the vote. Murrill has served as Jeff Landry's solicitor general for the past eight years.

Landry defeated Democrat "Gwen" Collins-Greenup by winning 67% of the vote. Landry, a former state representative, had been serving as Ardoin's chief deputy.

Fleming defeated Democrat Dustin Granger by winning 65% of the early vote. Fleming is a former congressman who represented the 4th Congressional District with Shreveport-Bossier City as the population hub and was deputy chief of staff for former President Donald Trump.

Murrill, Landry and Fleming will be inaugurated Jan. 8 at the Louisiana Capitol.

More: Republican Jeff Landry will be Louisiana's next governor after stunning primary win

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

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Louisiana Republicans secure monopoly on statewide offices