Louisiana voters push back against Governor’s bold changes

Louisiana’s governor, Jeff Landry, won his job with just over half the votes in 2023. That’s a narrow win, not a strong order to change the state. Yet he pushed hard for big shifts in 2025, like making more young suspects face adult crimes and rewriting tax rules. Four changes were voted down by more than 60% of voters. Even his own supporters turned against him. In May 2025, five more changes were on the ballot. One wanted to let lawmakers reclassify state jobs to fire workers more easily. Another tried to split a mostly Black school district to create a new one for a mostly White city. A third plan raised teacher pay by using money from special funds. Two others cut business taxes and raised the retirement age for judges. All failed. Black and Democratic voters led the opposition, but they weren’t alone. Even in Landry’s hometown, St. Martin Parish, half of his 2023 supporters voted against his changes. Nearby areas showed the same pattern. In Jefferson Parish, more people voted on the amendments than in a Senate primary, and most rejected four of the five proposals.

Small, heavily Republican parishes like Cameron and Livingston also rejected most amendments. Only in Livingston did voters approve splitting the school district. St. Tammany Parish, another Republican stronghold, voted down four of five changes by wide margins. Landry’s approval rating dropped from 56% to 36% in less than two years. Polls show most Louisianans now disapprove or are unsure about his leadership. Even some Republicans doubt his judgment. A recall effort is gaining steam, and people are protesting his plans to redraw voting maps to weaken Black voters’ influence. Landry’s string of losses on ballot changes—now 0-9—suggests voters want stability, not quick shifts. His best move might be to pause and focus on what Louisianans truly need, not what aligns with national political trends.

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