OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
In what could be an ominous sign for President Joe Biden, a candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump just won a major election that turned a blue state red.
Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Jeff Landry will take over for Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards, who could not seek re-election because of term limits, The Associated Press reported.
“Today’s election says that our state is united,” the Republican said. “It’s a wake-up call, and it’s a message that everyone should hear loud and clear, that we, the people in this state, are going to expect more out of our government from here on out.”
A runoff election was expected because of a crowded field of candidates, but Landry was able to avoid that by getting more than half of the votes, stunning election watchers.
“The last time there wasn’t a gubernatorial runoff in Louisiana was in 2011 and 2007, when Bobby Jindal, a Republican, won the state’s top position,” The Associated Press said.
“Landry, 52, has raised the profile of attorney general since taking office in 2016. He has used his office to champion conservative policy positions. More recently, Landry has been in the spotlight over his involvement and staunch support of Louisiana laws that have drawn much debate, including banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youths, the state’s near-total abortion ban that doesn’t have exceptions for cases of rape and incest, and a law restricting youths’ access to “sexually explicit material” in libraries, which opponents fear will target LGBTQ+ books,” the report said.
“Landry has repeatedly clashed with Edwards over matters in the state, including LGBTQ rights, state finances and the death penalty. However the Republican has also repeatedly put Louisiana in national fights, including over President Joe Biden’s policies that limit oil and gas production and COVID-19 vaccine mandates,” it said.
“A very BIG VOTE in the GREAT STATE OF LOUISIANA for A.G. Jeff Landry, who will now become the Governor. Despite many people running, Jeff was easily able to get a majority, meaning that there will be NO RUNOFF. This is an amazing victory for a man who will be a truly GREAT GOVERNOR. Congratulations to all! DONALD J. TRUMP,” the former president said on Truth Social.
The most recent polls have not been kind to President Joe Biden and the Democrats, causing some to wonder if the party would be wise to nominate someone else to be president.
A new Fox News poll showed that close to three-quarters of Americans are not satisfied with the direction of the nation, and that includes half of Democrats, Fox News reported.
That outlet notes:
Overall, 72% of voters are dissatisfied. That number has only been higher five times, and two of those were in the last year and a half. A record 79% were dissatisfied in 2009, when the question was first asked on a Fox survey, while it hit 75% last summer (August 2022).
Current dissatisfaction is up almost 20 points since the early days of President Joe Biden’s administration when 53% felt that way (April 2021).
That grim view isn’t only held by Biden’s partisan detractors: 49% of Democrats are dissatisfied — up 29 points since the start of his presidency. Among independents, 83% are unhappy, up 18 points. An overwhelmingly 92% majority of Republicans are dissatisfied, up 8 points.
Inflation weighed heavily on the minds of the respondents, with 58 percent saying that higher prices were an emergency.
Other issues also played a role, including opioid addiction which came in at 52 percent, while crime and the border came in at 48 percent, climate change was at 39 percent, and the Russia and Ukraine war was at 34 percent.
