Trump-aligned Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is reeling from a bruising loss after voters in his state — which typically backs Republicans by comfortable margins — categorically rejected a series of amendments he pushed to overhaul the state constitution in the GOP's favor, reported The Advocate.
"After a string of successes, Landry suffered his worst defeat during his 15 months as governor," wrote Tyler Bridges. "Black voters turned out in bigger than expected numbers to vote 'no,' after being reached through a grassroots digital media campaign and apparently motivated at least in part by opposition to Landry and President Donald Trump."
In fact, per the report, "About 10,000 more people voted in liberal New Orleans in Saturday’s election than did in the governor’s race in October 2023 that elected Landry, and 91% of those who voted there on Saturday rejected all four amendments."
The amendments in question would have mandated tax cuts for the rich, established a system of specialty courts, changed the dates of judicial elections, and made it easier to send children to adult prisons in some criminal cases. The blanket rejection of all four by roughly 2-to-1 margins, said University of New Orleans pollster Ed Chervenak, is "a collective middle finger to the governor."
Landry, for his part, claims that the amendments were defeated through the manipulation of liberal Jewish billionaire and philanthropist George Soros — a frequent scapegoat for Republicans. But in reality, said the report, "the rejection was so decisive that the high Democratic turnout doesn’t tell the whole story – the governor didn’t win over enough Republicans, analysts say."
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For example, according to Louisiana strategist John Couvillon, Amendment 2, the one cutting taxes, only passed in 14 of the state's 64 parishes, while only 8 of 28 GOP-held state Senate districts and 27 of 73 GOP-held state House districts approved it. So even in a majority of Republican-controlled areas, the amendments met sharp opposition.
The opposition to the amendments spread through a number of figures and groups, according to the report, and an unusual alliance between liberal and conservative activists.
"The Rev. Tony Spell, a Pentecostal preacher in Baton Rouge, was the first prominent voice to oppose Amendment 2," said the report. Spell, a conservative figure, "said he gave permission through Lyman White, a former LSU star linebacker who is program director of Professional Athletes Supporting Students, to a progressive group to use his anti-Amendment 2 material in their campaign. That group created the notothemall.org website that opposed all four amendments."