Governor of Louisiana

Louisiana Governor General information Office Type:   Partisan Office website:   Official Link Compensation:   $130,000 2024 FY Budget:   $21,092,984 Term limits:   2 consecutive terms Structure Length of term:   4 years Authority:   Article IV, the Executive Department Selection Method:   Elected Current Officeholder Governor of Louisiana Jeff Landry Republican Party Assumed office: January 8, 2024 Elections Next election:   November 20, 2027 Last election:   November 18, 2023 Other Louisiana Executive Offices Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission State Executives Current Governors Gubernatorial Elections 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 Current Lt. Governors Lt. Governor Elections 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014

The Governor of the State of Louisiana is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Louisiana. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a majority and is limited to two consecutive terms.

Louisiana has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

Louisiana has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

See also: Louisiana State Legislature, Louisiana House of Representatives, Louisiana State Senate

Current officeholder

The current Governor of Louisiana is Jeff Landry (R). Landry assumed office in 2024.

Authority

The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article IV, the Executive Department.

Under Article IV, Section 5(A):

The governor shall be the chief executive officer of the state.

Qualifications

Under Article IV, Section 2, a candidate for governor is required to:

• have attained the age of 25 years
• be an elector
• have been a citizen of the United States, and,
• have been a citizen of Louisiana for at least the preceding five years.

The term of office of the Governor of Louisiana is four years. During her or his tenure in office, a statewide elected official shall hold no other public office.

Elections

Louisiana state government organizational chart

Louisiana is one of the handful of states that hold off-year elections, that is, elections in off-numbered years that are neither presidential nor midterm years. In Louisiana's case, elections are held in the year after a midterm and before a presidential; thus, 2015, 2019, 2023, and 2027 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the inauguration is always held the second Monday in January after an election.

Results

2023

See also: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2023

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Governor of Louisiana

The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of Louisiana on October 14, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeff Landry (R)	51.6	547,827
		Shawn Wilson (D)	25.9	275,525
		Stephen Waguespack (R)	5.9	62,287
		John Schroder (R)	5.3	56,654
		Hunter Lundy (Independent)	4.9	52,165
		Daniel Cole (D)	2.6	27,662
		Sharon Hewitt (R)	1.7	18,468
		Benjamin Barnes (Independent)	0.5	5,190
		Patrick Henry Barthel (R)	0.4	4,426
		Richard Nelson (R) (Unofficially withdrew)	0.3	3,605
		Jeffery Istre (Independent)	0.3	3,400
		Xavier Ellis (R)	0.2	1,734
		Keitron Gagnon (Independent)	0.1	1,260
		Xan John (R)	0.1	1,164
		Frank Scurlock (Independent)	0.1	1,131

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,062,498
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Oscar Dantzler (D)

2019

See also: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2019

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

General election for Governor of Louisiana

Incumbent John Bel Edwards defeated Eddie Rispone in the general election for Governor of Louisiana on November 16, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Bel Edwards (D)	51.3	774,498
		Eddie Rispone (R)	48.7	734,286

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,508,784 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Governor of Louisiana

The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of Louisiana on October 12, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Bel Edwards (D)	46.6	625,970
✔		Eddie Rispone (R)	27.4	368,319
		Ralph Abraham (R)	23.6	317,149
		Oscar Dantzler (D)	0.8	10,993
		Patrick Landry (R)	0.8	10,966
		Gary Landrieu (Independent)	0.8	10,084

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,343,481
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Manuel Leach (R)
• Patrick Doguet (R)
• M.V. Mendoza (D)

2015

See also: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2015

There was a regularly scheduled election for governor in 2015. Bobby Jindal (R) was ineligible for re-election due to term limits. The primary election took place on October 24, 2015, and a runoff election occurred on November 21, 2015.

No candidate received an outright majority in the blanket primary election. The two candidates with the most votes, who qualified for the November runoff election, were John Bel Edwards (D) and David Vitter (R).

Edwards defeated Vitter and succeeded Governor Jindal in January 2016.

General election

The general election for Louisiana governor between David Vitter (R) and John Bel Edwards (D) was held on November 21, 2015. Edwards defeated his Republican opponent.

Governor of Louisiana, Run-off election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Bel Edwards	56.1%	646,860
	Republican	David Vitter	43.9%	505,929
Total Votes				1,152,789
Election Results via the Louisiana Secretary of State.

Primary election

Governor of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Bel Edwards	39.9%	444,061
	Republican	David Vitter	23%	256,105
	Republican	Scott Angelle	19.3%	214,907
	Republican	Jay Dardenne	15%	166,553
	Democratic	Cary Deaton	1.1%	11,750
	Democratic	S L Simpson	0.7%	7,411
	Independent	Beryl Billiot	0.5%	5,690
	Independent	Jeremy "JW" Odom	0.4%	4,755
	Independent	Eric Paul Orgeron	0.2%	2,244
Total Votes				1,113,476
Election Results Louisiana Secretary of State.

2011

Governor of Louisiana, 2011
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bobby Jindal Incumbent	65.8%	673,239
	Democratic	Tara Hollis	17.9%	182,925
	Democratic	Cary Deaton	4.9%	50,071
	Democratic	Trey Roberts	3.3%	33,280
	Independent	David Blanchard	2.6%	26,705
	Democratic	Niki Bird Papazoglakis	2.1%	21,885
	Libertarian	Scott Lewis	1.2%	12,528
	Independent	Robert Lang, Jr.	0.9%	9,109
	Independent	Ron Caesar	0.8%	8,179
	Independent	Leonard Bollingham	0.5%	5,242
Total Votes				1,023,163
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State

2007

Governor of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2007
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bobby Jindal	53.9%	699,275
	Democratic	Walter J Boasso	17.5%	226,476
	Nonpartisan	John Georges	14.4%	186,682
	Democratic	Foster Campbell	12.5%	161,665
	Democratic	Mary Volentine Smith	0.5%	5,868
	Independent	B. Alexandrenko	0.4%	4,791
	Independent	Anthony "Tony G" Gentile	0.3%	3,372
	Libertarian	T. Lee Horne III	0.2%	2,648
	Nonpartisan	Sheldon Forest	0.2%	2,323
	Democratic	M.V. "Vinny" Mendoza	0.2%	2,080
	Democratic	Hardy Parkerson	0.1%	1,666
	Nonpartisan	Arthur D. "Jim" Nichols	0.1%	994
Total Votes				1,297,840
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State

2003

Governor of Louisiana, Runoff Election, 2003
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Kathleen Blanco	51.9%	731,358
	Republican	Bobby Jindal	48.1%	676,484
Total Votes				1,407,842
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State

Term limits

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits

Louisiana governors are restricted to two consecutive terms in office, after which they must wait one term before being eligible to run again.

Louisiana Constitution, Section IV, Section 3b

A person who has served as governor for more than one and one-half terms in two consecutive terms shall not be elected governor for the succeeding term.

Partisan composition

The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Louisiana governors from 1992 to 2013.

Vacancies

See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled

Details of vacancies are addressed under Article IV, Section 14.

When a vacancy occurs in the office of governor, the order of succession shall be:

(1) the elected lieutenant governor,
(2) the elected secretary of state,
(3) the elected attorney general,
(4) the elected treasurer,
(5) the presiding officer of the Senate,
(6) the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, and then
(7) as provided by law.

The successor shall serve the remainder of the term for which the governor was elected.

Duties

The governor has the right to grant reprieves, issue pardons, commute sentences, and return fines and forfeitures for crimes against the state. In this role, the governor serves as the court of last resort.

Additionally the governor serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the state, except when they are called into service of the federal government. He or she may call these forces to preserve law and order, to suppress insurrection, to repel invasion, or in other times of emergency.

At the outset of each regular legislative session, the governor must give an address to the General Assembly, including the condition of the state and its finances. The governor may also include recommendations in his or her address and make such addresses at other times, such as the commencement of an extraordinary session.

The governor also submits a budget to the legislature and may compel reports from department heads on any matter, save investigations into the governor's office.

Other duties and privileges of the office include:

• A line-item veto

• The power to make appointments, including recess appointments, with Senate confirmation

• Removing, at pleasure, any appointees who are currently serving

Divisions

Updated January 17, 2021

• Chief of Staff's Office
• Deputy Chiefs of Staff
• Special Assistants to the Governor
• Communications and Press
• Constituent Services
• Legal
• Legislative Affairs
• Policy
• Programs and Planning
• Governor's Office of Coastal Activities
• Boards and Commissions
• Finance and Administration

State budget

Role in state budget

See also: Louisiana state budget and finances

The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is:

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies by September 20.
2. State agencies submit their budget requests by November 15.
3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature 45 days before the legislature convenes. (Newly elected governors have until 30 days before the legislature convenes.)
4. The legislature typically adopts a budget in June. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The fiscal year begins July 1.

Louisiana is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.

The governor is constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget proposal. Likewise, the legislature must pass a balanced budget.

Governor's office budget

The Executive Office's budget for fiscal year 2024 was $21,092,984.

Compensation

See also: Comparison of gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers

The salary of the governor, along with the rest of Louisiana's elected executives, is determined by the Louisiana State Legislature. Article IV, Section 4 requires that changes in compensation take effect in the term after they were passed.

Louisiana Constitution, Article IV, Section 4

Compensation Section 4. Except as otherwise provided by this constitution, the compensation of each statewide elected official shall be provided by law. An increase in the salary of a statewide elected official shall not become effective until the commencement of the subsequent term for that office following the adoption or enactment of the increase.

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2021

In 2021, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2020

In 2020, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2019

In 2019, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2018

In 2018, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2017

In 2017, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2016

In 2016, the governor received a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2015

In 2015, the governor received a salary was $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2014

In 2014, the governor earned a salary of $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2013

In 2013, the governor's salary remained at $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2012

In 2012, the governor was paid an estimated $130,000, according to the Council of State Governments.

2010

In 2010, the governor was paid $130,000 a year, the 24th highest gubernatorial salary in America at the time.

Historical officeholders

There are eight governing periods in Louisiana history:

• French Period - 1699-1766
• Spanish Period - 1766-1803
• French Interim Period - 11/30 - 12/20/1803
• Statehood/Antebellum Period - 1812-1861
• Confederate Governors - 1861-1865
• United States Wartime Military Governors - 1862-1865
• Military Occupation Period - 1865-1877
• Governors Since 1877

The following chart details the last period. From 1877 to 2019, there have been 29 governors. Of those, four were Republicans and 25 were Democrats.

Click "show" for former officeholders.

Number	Name	Took office	Left office	Party
28	Francis T. Nicholls	1877	1880	Democrat
29	Louis Alfred Wiltz	1880	1881	Democrat
30	Samuel Douglas McEnery	1881	1888	Democrat
28	Francis T. Nicholls	1888	1892	Democrat
31	Murphy James Foster	1892	1900	Democrat
32	William Wright Heard	1900	1904	Democrat
33	Newton C. Blanchard	1904	1908	Democrat
34	Jared Y. Sanders	1908	1912	Democrat
35	Luther E. Hall	1912	1916	Democrat
36	Ruffin G. Pleasant	1916	1920	Democrat
37	John M. Parker	1920	1924	Democrat
38	Henry L. Fuqua	1924	1926	Democrat
39	Oramel H. Simpson	1926	1928	Democrat
40	Huey P. Long	1928	1932	Democrat
41	Alvin O. King	1932	1932	Democrat
42	Oscar K. Allen	1932	1936	Democrat
43	James A. Noe	1936	1936	Democrat
44	Richard W. Leche	1936	1939	Democrat
45	Earl K. Long	1939	1940	Democrat
46	Sam H. Jones	1940	1944	Democrat
47	Jimmie H. Davis	1944	1948	Democrat
45	Earl K. Long	1948	1952	Democrat
48	Robert F. Kennon	1952	1956	Democrat
45	Earl K. Long	1956	1960	Democrat
47	Jimmie H. Davis	1960	1964	Democrat
49	John J. McKeithen	1964	1972	Democrat
50	Edwin W. Edwards	1972	1980	Democrat
51	David C. Treen	1980	1984	Republican
50	Edwin W. Edwards	1984	1988	Democrat
52	Charles E. "Buddy" Roemer, III	1988	1992	Republican
50	Edwin W. Edwards	1992	1996	Democrat
53	Murphy J. "Mike" Foster	1996	2004	Republican
54	Kathleen Babineaux Blanco	2004	2008	Democrat
55	Bobby Jindal	2008	2016	Republican
56	John Bel Edwards	2016	2024	Democrat
57	Jeff Landry	2024	Present	Republican

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, Louisiana

Partisan breakdown of the Louisiana governorship from 1992 to 2013

From 1992 to 2013, in Louisiana there were Democratic governors in office for eight years while there were Republican governors in office for 14 years, including the last six. Louisiana was under Republican trifectas for the last three years of the study period.

Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82 percent) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27 percent) from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Louisiana, the Louisiana State Senate and the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

SQLI and partisanship

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Kentucky state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Louisiana has had three periods of trifectas, two Democratic trifectas (1992 to 1995 and 2004 to 2007) and one Republican trifecta (2011 to 2013). Louisiana had its longest period of divided government between 1996 and 2003. For all but two years of the study, Louisiana has ranked in the bottom-10 in the SQLI ranking and only left the bottom-10 in the last two years of the study, 2011 and 2012. The state’s lowest ranking came in 1993 and 1994 under a Democratic trifecta. Its highest ranking (36th) came in 2012 under a Republican trifecta.

• SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 46.25
• SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 38.00
• SQLI average with divided government: 45.73

Chart displaying the partisanship of Louisiana government from 1992 to 2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).

State profile

Demographic data for Louisiana
	Louisiana	U.S.
Total population:	4,668,960	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	43,204	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	62.8%	73.6%
Black/African American:	32.1%	12.6%
Asian:	1.7%	5.1%
Native American:	0.6%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	1.8%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	4.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	83.4%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	22.5%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$45,047	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	23.3%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Louisiana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Louisiana

Louisiana voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.

More Louisiana coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Louisiana
• United States congressional delegations from Louisiana
• Public policy in Louisiana
• Endorsers in Louisiana
• Louisiana fact checks
• More...

Contact information

Office of the Governor
PO Box 94004
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
Phone (front desk):

• 225-342-7015
• 866-366-1121

Phone (constituent help line):

• 225-342-0991
• 844-860-1413

See also

• Louisiana state executive offices
• Louisiana state executive officials

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Office of the Louisiana Governor