HOUSTON, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, a hardline Republican, has won the coastal U.S. state's gubernatorial race, flipping the governor's seat for the first time since 2016.
As of late Saturday night, Landry, 52, had garnered more than half of the votes to avoid a runoff, according to the Associated Press.
He will replace Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, currently the only Democratic governor in the Deep South who was unable to seek reelection due to consecutive term limits.
"Democratic turnout has been weak," Louisiana-based pollster John Couvillon told The Hill days earlier.
Endorsed by former President Donald Trump in May, Landry had far outpaced his opponents in fundraising with 4.5 million U.S. dollars in the bank on Sept. 24 when the last campaign finance reporting period ended.
As the state's attorney general elected in 2015, Landry staunchly supports a number of controversial Louisiana laws, including a ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youths, and a near-total abortion ban with no exceptions for cases of rape and incest.
During the race, Landry promised he would address crime in urban areas, calling for more "transparency" in the justice system of the state, which has the second-highest murder rate per capita in the country.
Louisiana's gubernatorial race is widely seen as the first major test for Republicans and Democrats ahead of the 2024 general elections.
The Republican Party is now looking to win the gubernatorial elections in Kentucky and Mississippi, both controlled by Republicans, according to local media reports. ■
