{"id":2026525,"date":"2023-09-09T00:42:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-09T04:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-seizes-stage-in-louisiana-gubernatorial-debate-boycotted-by-gop-frontrunner\/"},"modified":"2023-09-09T00:47:33","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T04:47:33","slug":"democrat-seizes-stage-in-louisiana-gubernatorial-debate-boycotted-by-gop-frontrunner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-seizes-stage-in-louisiana-gubernatorial-debate-boycotted-by-gop-frontrunner\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrat dominates Louisiana debate, GOP frontrunner boycotts."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrat-seizes-stage-in-louisiana-gubernatorial-debate-boycotted-by-gop-frontrunner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2026525&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>A primetime televised\u200c candidate debate dominated by the \u2062elephant in the room\u2014an absent frontrunner so far ahead in polls, those\u2064 on the stage were seemingly auditioning to be the fait accompli \u201cother guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sound familiar?<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>But there were significant differences between Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry\u2019s boycott of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GgQlG0PpTdM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WWL-TV<\/a>\u2019s Sept. \u200c7\u200c gubernatorial election debate and former President Donald Trump\u2019s refusal to participate in the first two Republican\u200d National Committee presidential debates.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/louisiana-ag-jeff-landry-hails-ruling-in-govt-big-tech-censorship-case-as-independence-day-triumph-5374554\">Louisiana AG Jeff Landry Hails Ruling in Government\u2013Big Tech Censorship Case as Independence Day Triumph<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">7\/5\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/louisiana-ag-jeff-landry-hails-ruling-in-govt-big-tech-censorship-case-as-independence-day-triumph-5374554\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/attorney-general-jeff-landry-calls-out-the-weaponization-of-the-doj-5049890\">Attorney General \u200bJeff Landry\u2064 Calls Out the &#8216;Weaponization&#8217; of the DOJ<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">2\/11\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/attorney-general-jeff-landry-calls-out-the-weaponization-of-the-doj-5049890\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Among them: While\u200d President Trump\u2019s Election Day is nearly 14 months away down an arduous primary\u200d road, Mr.\u200b Landry\u2019s is Oct. 14.<\/p>\n<p>Another difference: The five gubernatorial hopefuls not named Landry \u2064invited to the debate included an independent and the leading Democrat, who is expected to give the ultimate\u200c GOP candidate, most likely named Landry, not just one competitive race, but two.<\/p>\n<p>Under Louisiana\u2019s\u200b \u201cjungle primary\u201d system, \u2064candidates of \u200call party \u200caffiliations will\u200c be on the same Oct. 14 primary ballot. If no single candidate garners\u200b 50 percent of that tally, the top \u2063two advance \u2062to a Nov. 18\u200d general\u200b election.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>There are\u2062 at\u2063 least 16 declared candidates, \u200bincluding 10 Republicans, seeking to succeed\u200c term-limited Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards.<\/p>\n<p>The Louisiana election is one of three unfolding 2023 gubernatorial contests set for votes this\u200d fall. All three are in the South, and\u200b two feature Republican \u2062state attorneys general running for governor to complete GOP trifecta control\u2014both legislative chambers and the governor\u2019s office\u2014in their states.<\/p>\n<p>In Mississippi,\u200c Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is heavily favored to win a second term to sustain that \u2064state\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Louisiana Attorney \u2062General Jeff Landry (C) speaks during a press\u2064 conference at the U.S. Capitol\u2062 in \u2062Washington, on Jan. 22, 2020. (Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Landry Making Debate Debut Sept.15<\/h2>\n<p>Mr. Landry, Louisiana\u2019s two<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-backed-doug-mastriano-wins-pa-gop-primary\/\" title=\"Trump-backed Doug Mastriano wins Pa. GOP primary\">-term <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-ag-barr-authorizes-federal-prosecutors-to-pursue-substantial-allegations-of-voting-irregularities-before-2020-election-is-certified\/\" title=\"BREAKING: AG Barr Authorizes Federal Prosecutors to Pursue \"Substantial Allegations\" of Voting Irregularities Before 2020 Election is Certified\">attorney general<\/a><\/a> who served a two-year stint in Congress a decade ago, is a conservative endorsed\u200d by President Trump. \u2063He has consistently\u200d outpolled his fellow Republican gubernatorial \u200bcontenders by 30 percentage points.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In the most recent\u200c survey\u200b posted in late August, Mr. Landry garnered 36 percent of the tally, followed by\u200b Democrat Shawn Wilson, a former\u2062 Louisiana Department of Transportation &#038; Development secretary, with 26 percent.<\/p>\n<p>Only seven other candidates garnered votes, and none secured more than 7 percent in \u200cthe poll, commissioned by an \u2063array of media and advocacy groups. They include The Urban League of Louisiana, also among sponsors \u200bof 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.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Landry has committed, however, to participate in a Sept. 15 Louisiana gubernatorial debate in Lafayette hosted by LaNexstar Television, the second of four \u200bsuch debates scheduled before the Oct. 14 \u201cjungle primary,\u201d \u2063where a 50-percent tally wins it all\u2062 right then and there.<\/p>\n<p>That left Mr. Wilson, the only significant Democrat candidate \u2062in the race, to \u2062face off in the first debate against Lake Charles attorney Hunter Lundy, running as an independent, and \u2064the three leading Republicans not named Landry\u2014two-term Republican state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, State Treasurer John Schroder, and Louisiana Association of Business &#038; Industry President Stephen Waguespack, who\u2063 served as\u200c an aide to former Gov. \u200dBobby Jindal.<\/p>\n<p>During the hour-long debate, all five said that, as governor, they would \u2062<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-seizes-stage-in-louisiana-gubernatorial-debate-boycotted-by-gop-frontrunner\/\" title=\"Democrat dominates Louisiana debate, GOP frontrunner boycotts.\">support\u2062 making teacher pay raises \u200cpermanent<\/a>, oppose raising the \u200cstate\u2019s gasoline \u2064tax\u2014at 17 cents, the nation\u2019s second lowest\u2014and \u2063fight against any attempt to impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on K-12 school students.<\/p>\n<p>The candidates gave varying responses, mostly within standard partisan\u200b lines, to\u200c questions about abortion, environmental regulations, the state\u2019s property insurance crisis\u2014a growing issue Louisiana shares with neighboring Gulf Coast states\u2014redistricting challenges, minimum wage, the state\u2019s sales tax, recently adopted anti-LGBT bills,\u2064 and the state\u2019s &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/god-loves-me-10-year-old-trans-child-quotes-bible-to-tell-tx-legislators-why-they-shouldnt-ban-trans-surgeries-procedures-for-minors\/\" title=\"\u2018God Loves Me\u2019: 10-Year-Old Trans Child Quotes Bible To Tell TX Legislators Why They Shouldn\u2019t Ban Trans Surgeries, Procedures For Minors\">gender-affirming care<\/a>&#8221; ban.<\/p>\n<p>According \u2062to polls cited by moderators, Louisianans cited crime among their top concerns. All five\u200d vowed to be aggressive in addressing this voter priority.<\/p>\n<p>All stressed the need for more funding for law enforcement, court reform, and crime-prevention programs, with Mr. Lundy passionately calling for a more \u2062holistic\u200d approach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have to \u200cstart young and prevent crime,\u201d he said, adding that better funding for the state\u2019s education system is the key to\u200c crime prevention.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Schroder, touting his 10-year \u200drecord in the\u2062 state House as a tough-on-crime lawmaker, said voters already know he\u2019s a stand-up leader who has backed law enforcement\u2064 and \u2062resisted progressive efforts to ease\u2063 criminal codes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI showed up, unlike the attorney general,\u201d Mr. Schroder said, referring to the absent Mr.\u200c Landry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s been a no-show for all these\u200c issues.\u200b And I think he\u2019s been a no-show on crime for the last eight years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2064 was one\u200d of the few shots taken at the frontrunner in absentia. \u200dAnother came when Ms. Hewitt claimed Mr. Landry is first-and-foremost a tort attorney advocate, noting he\u2019s sided with trial lawyers in more than 200 lawsuits against Louisiana\u2019s \u200dlargest \u200cemployer and tax-revenues \u2064generator, making him \u201cnot a friend of\u200c the oil and gas industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width:513px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Democrat Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Shawn Wilson posted this photo of two of his grandchildren watching him in the Sept. 7 debate. (Courtesy of Shawn Wilson For\u200d Governor)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Wilson v. Landry-Less GOP<\/h2>\n<p>For the most part, \u2062the debate was a Democrat offering Democratic answers to questions, Republicans issuing varied GOP responses to queries, and an independent \u200dsounding mostly Republican to whatever he\u200c was asked.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>On abortion, all but Mr. Wilson said they supported the state\u2019s \u200bsix-week ban and the \u200dLegislature\u2019s rejection of 2023 bills to \u2063provide exceptions for rape \u200cand\u2062 incest.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur legislature has proven it\u2019s too \u2064extreme for Louisiana,\u201d Mr. Wilson said, calling for a statewide ballot initiative to allow citizens to vote on abortion\u200b rights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A televised candidate debate was overshadowed by the absence of a frontrunner, leaving those on stage to compete for the role of the inevitable &#8220;other guy.&#8221; This situation may sound familiar, but there were notable distinctions between Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry&#8217;s boycott of WWL-TV&#8217;s Sept. 7 debate and the actions of the former President.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":509,"featured_media":2026526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2026525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/509"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2026525"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026525\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2026526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2026525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2026525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2026525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}