Republicans sweep state office races

Lincoln Parish voters joined voters statewide on Saturday in giving Republicans a clean sweep of all of the major statewide offices.

Complete but unofficial returns from the runoff election show Nancy Landry will be the next secretary of state; Liz Murrill, the new attorney general; and John Fleming, the incoming treasurer.

Landry beat Democrat Gwen Collins-Greenup in the runoff to replace incumbent Kyle Ardoin, who did not seek reelection. 

Landry is a former state representative from Lafayette, and is currently first assistant secretary of state. She won 67% of the statewide vote to Collins-Greenup’s 33%.

In Lincoln Parish, voters gave Landry 65% of the vote to Collins-Greenup’s, 35%.

Local turnout for Saturday’s election was approximately 19%.

Landry will have the task of replacing Louisiana’s outdated voting machines, which don’t produce the paper ballots that are a key check to ensuring accurate election results.

Collins-Greenup, a New Orleans attorney, and Landry tied with 19% of the vote each at the end of the Oct. 14 primary. In Lincoln Parish, Landry barely edged out Collins-Greenup in the primary, winning 20% of the local vote to Collins-Greenup’s 18%.

In the attorney general’s race, Murrill, a conservative longtime deputy of now Gov.-elect Jeff Landry, beat New Orleans attorney Democrat Lindsey Cheek statewide 67% to 33%.

Lincoln Parish voters gave Murrill 65% of the local vote to Cheek’s 35%.

Murrill won 45% of the statewide primary vote in October to Cheek’s 23%. Murrill also lead the five-person primary field in Lincoln Parish with 48% of the vote to Cheek’s 23%.

Meantime, in the treasurer’s race, former 4th District Congressman John Fleming polled 67% of the statewide vote to challenger Dustin Granger’s 34%. Granger is a Democrat from Lake Charles.

Fleming won 64% of the Lincoln Parish vote, with Granger taking 36%.

Fleming, a physician from Minden, held three different appointed jobs during former President Donald Trump’s administration: deputy assistant secretary for health information technology, assistant commerce secretary for economic development, and a White House aide.

Fleming won 44% of the statewide primary vote in October to Granger’s 32%. 

Fleming carried Lincoln Parish’s primary vote with 54% to Granger’s 29%.

The new officials take office in January.