Outraged Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser Suggests Supporters Call Louisiana GOP After Landry Endorsement

LOUISIANA (KPEL News) - Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser has fired back hard after it was reported that the Louisiana Republican Party's vote to endorse Attorney General Jeff Landry.

In a campaign email to supporters, Nungesser expressed his outrage and shared the personal contact information of the members of the LAGOP executive committee, including Party Chairman Louis Gurvich, possibly in an attempt to encourage supporters to call and email them.

“The notion that a handful of people could go into a back room and emerge with an endorsement of a candidate without ever considering others who are running or considering running is arrogant, ill-conceived and detrimental to the party," Nungesser said in his statement. "The decision by this small, rogue group of party officials is disrespectful to the hundreds of elected party members and hundreds of thousands of Republicans. At the root of this decision is money, and the party chairman and his lieutenants decided to embrace the payday over policy. It will very likely backfire because we have a well-informed electorate whose vote can’t be bought.”

The email, which is on Team Nungesser 2023 campaign letterhead, points out that the Lt. Governor is not a declared candidate, but has expressed interest in running.

"President Reagan once said, ‘The Republican Party is a big tent; with room in our tent for many views,’" Nungesser said later in the statement. "He would have frowned upon the actions of a small group of extremists who want to take the party hostage for political expediency and personal gain.”

This statement follows a tweet sent out by Nungesser after the story of the endorsement broke yesterday.

Monday morning, LaPolitics Weekly publisher Jeremy Alford broke the news that, over the weekend, the LAGOP Executive Committee voted to endorse Landry. That led to blowback from members of the state central committee and possible contenders for governor like Nungesser, state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, Treasurer John Schroder, and others.

Nungesser has repeatedly teased a future announcement, expected in January. Landry beat all other expected candidates to the punch with an October announcement. Since that announcement, it had been reported that the Landry team was working to secure the state party's endorsement early.

There is currently no declared candidate from the Democratic Party, though names like Gary Chambers, Dr. Shawn Wilson, and others have been mentioned.