Known as a hard-charging conservative who wades into legal clashes over culture war issues, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has long pushed a tough-on-crime message and sought to fight federal mandates.
Now those qualities are shaping the race to replace him as Landry sets his sights on the governor's mansion.
Three Republicans running for Attorney General at a campaign event Tuesday lauded Landry's record as AG. All three — state Rep. John Stefanski, prosecutor Marty Maley and current Landry lieutenant Liz Murrill — promised to follow in Landry's footsteps by fighting what they described as surging crime across the state and the federal government's infringement on citizens' rights.
La. Atty. Gen. Jeff Landry speaks about the 'Protecting Innocence' report that he says shows cases of children having access to inappropriate materials in public libraries, at a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, center, and Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, right, look on.
Murrill, Maley and Stefanski all decried what they described as excessive overreach by the feds on issues like COVID-19 vaccines and the regulation of oil and gas projects. Such interference poses a threat to Louisiana's cultural and economic wellbeing, Murrill said.
"I have over 35 cases now pending against the Biden administration," said Murrill, yielding a round of claps. "We have to protect our sovereignty."
The candidates spoke at a luncheon in Baton Rouge organized by the East Baton Rouge Parish Republican Party. Along with the state GOP, the local party chapter has endorsed Landry in the race for governor.
Maley, a prosecutor and former law enforcement officer, argued at the event that rising violent crime — a trend that emerged in Louisiana and nationwide during the pandemic — can be attributed to Democratic city leaders. He blamed government regulation and "liberal policies" for the recent failure of Silicon Valley Bank in California, something analysts have attributed to a combination of factors including fluctuations in the economy and management decisions by the bank's owners.
"I commend Jeff and Liz for taking on that fight in Washington, D.C. for us and fighting against so many of those who would apply government overreach and try to take away our fundamental liberties," Maley said.
Stefanski, a Crowley Republican who chairs the House and Governmental Affairs Committee, touted his conservative bonafides earned during negotiations over Louisiana's congressional redistricting process last year. He described crime as the "No. 1" problem facing the state, saying little can improve before violent crime is brought down.
And he commended Landry's efforts to curb federal influence on Louisiana's oil and gas industry.
"You have to be able to check the federal government when they come after oil and gas," he said.
Landry has frequently waded into legal battles over national issues such as the U.S. Department of Justice's raid on former President Donald Trump's Florida estate, the Biden administration's block on new oil and gas leases and vaccine mandates, among other things. One such battle earned Landry a victory in December when the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to lift a lower court's injunction barring the Biden administration from requiring federal contractors to make their workforces get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The candidates on Tuesday also laid out local priorities, though they described few specifics.
Murrill said that as attorney general, she would focus not only on pushing back on federal oversight, but on things like supporting District Attorneys and law enforcement.
Stefanski said he would prioritize bringing strong lawyers into the Attorney General's office to best represent the state in criminal and civil litigation. He touted his ability to build bipartisan coalitions, citing his record in the legislature.
Also running for Attorney General is John Belton, a north Louisiana district attorney who's prosecuting five police officers for the 2019 beating death of Black motorist Ronald Greene. Belton is running as an independent. The qualifying period for the race is Aug. 8-10, and the primary is Oct. 14.