There is something intangible about Louisiana — a mystery that cannot be held, seen, or even named but exists nonetheless. It is an almost mythic quality held up by morning fog in a duck blind, or held down by the sweltering summer heat. Travel the world and tell people where you’re from and you’ll surely encounter a stark shift in demeanor, a booming smile, and a surge of excitement as some stranger declares, “Oh, I love Louisiana!” They might go on to praise our hospitality, our food, our music, or even our culture; but deep down we know all of these wonderful things exist because of our greatest resource: the people who call Louisiana home.
Hundreds of years ago, many of our ancestors found this emerald gem of land and navigated its bayous, swamps, and rivers. They built cities and trading posts, nurtured the fertile soil, and created a unique and multifaceted civilization unlike any other. There may be glimmers of France, Spain, Cuba, West Africa, Sicily, and Anglo-Saxon traditions woven into this place alongside our Indigenous tribes, but Louisiana is much greater than the sum of its parts. She is the jewel of our own creation, as vibrant and changing as the waters that ebb and flow along her banks.
Yet, for years, our State has been in a dark phase. Poor leadership, corruption, and bad policies have transformed our innate potential and true abundance into violence, sickness, and death. Instead of admiring our resiliency and fortitude, visitors and residents alike now fear for their safety.
Our education systems have been overwhelmed simultaneously by woke policies and increasingly violent youths. Our sheriffs and police departments are struggling under an influx of hardened criminals under the age of 18 alongside mental health problems that sadly lack support. Families and businesses alike are crumbling under the weight of Bidenomics, unfair flood insurance rates, and forever increasing taxation that never seems to benefit anyone — except the power players in Baton Rouge. And while there are those of us who stubbornly refuse to leave, our State is still losing 30,000 people a year because of violent crime and a lack of opportunity.
The truth is, the people of this State are tired of just surviving and trying to vote our way out of problems that only seem to get worse. And as a result, many might choose to sit out of this election, to retire to the seclusion of the deer stand, drown out their disappointment at a football game, or refuse to opt-in because they’re convinced that things will never change and “you’re kidding yourself to think otherwise.”
But for better or worse, we get the reality we choose. And for the past decade, at least, we have ultimately chosen the situation we find ourself in today — by not voting, by not speaking up, and by choosing not to participate. The other Southern states are booming economically because their people made different decisions — they chose to vote for better leadership, to have their voices heard, and to make their presence known. They decided that their land, their people, their heritage was worth fighting for, improving, and building anew. They made an active decision to change the status quo and reach for success. Now, that decision is up to you.
If you’re reading this, chances are you love Louisiana as much as I do. You want better schools and opportunities for our children, safer communities, and competitive jobs that will enable you to live comfortably — not make impossible decisions between food, fuel, and insurance. Hurricane after hurricane has taught us that we can survive anything Mother Nature throws at us; but this State cannot survive indifference. We either choose to fight for what we love, or we will succumb to the rot of stagnation and inaction.
I am ready to lead us forward towards a brighter and more prosperous future; but as I said from day one: I am not running for Governor — we are. So this Saturday, I ask you to participate, not for me but for yourself, your family, and your future with this land. Vote for us. Vote for Louisiana, and make our greatest known.
Because our State has always been great because of you, and you decide her fate whether you show up or not.
Jeff Landry
Louisiana Attorney General
