Democrat dominates Louisiana debate, GOP frontrunner boycotts.

A primetime televised‌ candidate debate dominated by the ⁢elephant in the room—an absent frontrunner so far ahead in polls, those⁤ on the stage were seemingly auditioning to be the fait accompli “other guy.”

Sound familiar?

Among them: While‍ President Trump’s Election Day is nearly 14 months away down an arduous primary‍ road, Mr.​ Landry’s is Oct. 14.

Another difference: The five gubernatorial hopefuls not named Landry ⁤invited to the debate included an independent and the leading Democrat, who is expected to give the ultimate‌ GOP candidate, most likely named Landry, not just one competitive race, but two.

Under Louisiana’s​ “jungle primary” system, ⁤candidates of ‌all party ‌affiliations will‌ be on the same Oct. 14 primary ballot. If no single candidate garners​ 50 percent of that tally, the top ⁣two advance ⁢to a Nov. 18‍ general​ election.

There are⁢ at⁣ least 16 declared candidates, ​including 10 Republicans, seeking to succeed‌ term-limited Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards.

The Louisiana election is one of three unfolding 2023 gubernatorial contests set for votes this‍ fall. All three are in the South, and​ two feature Republican ⁢state attorneys general running for governor to complete GOP trifecta control—both legislative chambers and the governor’s office—in their states.

In Mississippi,‌ Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is heavily favored to win a second term to sustain that ⁤state’s GOP trifecta. In Kentucky, incumbent Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear faces a stiff challenge from Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the first Republican elected Bluegrass State AG since 1948.

In the most recent‌ survey​ posted in late August, Mr. Landry garnered 36 percent of the tally, followed by​ Democrat Shawn Wilson, a former⁢ Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development secretary, with 26 percent.

Only seven other candidates garnered votes, and none secured more than 7 percent in ‌the poll, commissioned by an ⁣array of media and advocacy groups. They include The Urban League of Louisiana, also among sponsors ​of the Sept. 7 WWL-TV debate in New Orleans that Mr. Landry boycotted because, he claims, the Urban League is biased against Republicans, especially conservative Republicans.

Mr. Landry has committed, however, to participate in a Sept. 15 Louisiana gubernatorial debate in Lafayette hosted by LaNexstar Television, the second of four ​such debates scheduled before the Oct. 14 “jungle primary,” ⁣where a 50-percent tally wins it all⁢ right then and there.

That left Mr. Wilson, the only significant Democrat candidate ⁢in the race, to ⁢face off in the first debate against Lake Charles attorney Hunter Lundy, running as an independent, and ⁤the three leading Republicans not named Landry—two-term Republican state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, State Treasurer John Schroder, and Louisiana Association of Business & Industry President Stephen Waguespack, who⁣ served as‌ an aide to former Gov. ‍Bobby Jindal.

During the hour-long debate, all five said that, as governor, they would ⁢support⁢ making teacher pay raises ‌permanent, oppose raising the ‌state’s gasoline ⁤tax—at 17 cents, the nation’s second lowest—and ⁣fight against any attempt to impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on K-12 school students.

The candidates gave varying responses, mostly within standard partisan​ lines, to‌ questions about abortion, environmental regulations, the state’s property insurance crisis—a growing issue Louisiana shares with neighboring Gulf Coast states—redistricting challenges, minimum wage, the state’s sales tax, recently adopted anti-LGBT bills,⁤ and the state’s “gender-affirming care” ban.

According ⁢to polls cited by moderators, Louisianans cited crime among their top concerns. All five‍ vowed to be aggressive in addressing this voter priority.

All stressed the need for more funding for law enforcement, court reform, and crime-prevention programs, with Mr. Lundy passionately calling for a more ⁢holistic‍ approach.

“We have to ‌start young and prevent crime,” he said, adding that better funding for the state’s education system is the key to‌ crime prevention.

Mr. Schroder, touting his 10-year ‍record in the⁢ state House as a tough-on-crime lawmaker, said voters already know he’s a stand-up leader who has backed law enforcement⁤ and ⁢resisted progressive efforts to ease⁣ criminal codes.

“I showed up, unlike the attorney general,” Mr. Schroder said, referring to the absent Mr.‌ Landry.

“He’s been a no-show for all these‌ issues.​ And I think he’s been a no-show on crime for the last eight years.”

That⁤ was one‍ of the few shots taken at the frontrunner in absentia. ‍Another came when Ms. Hewitt claimed Mr. Landry is first-and-foremost a tort attorney advocate, noting he’s sided with trial lawyers in more than 200 lawsuits against Louisiana’s ‍largest ‌employer and tax-revenues ⁤generator, making him “not a friend of‌ the oil and gas industry.”

On abortion, all but Mr. Wilson said they supported the state’s ​six-week ban and the ‍Legislature’s rejection of 2023 bills to ⁣provide exceptions for rape ‌and⁢ incest.

“Our legislature has proven it’s too ⁤extreme for Louisiana,” Mr. Wilson said, calling for a statewide ballot initiative to allow citizens to vote on abortion​ rights.