Attorney General Jeff Landry is leading all gubernatorial candidates by various margins, depending on which poll you believe. One recent poll shows Republican Landry leading Democrat Shawn Wilson 36-26, with all others in single digits.
That poll was conducted by Faucheaux Strategies for a coalition of news media outlets and organizations, including The Times-Picayune | The Advocate, the Urban League of Louisiana, WWL-TV of New Orleans, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, KATC-TV of Lafayette, WBRZ-TV of Baton Rouge and KTBS-TV of Shreveport.
That same group is hosting a televised gubernatorial debate Thursday night on WWL-TV — but Landry, the leading candidate, won't be there.
Why?
Landry's communications director cited the Urban League's co-sponsorship as the reason for Landry's no-show: "Media reports say their programs elected Democrats and their leadership and lobbying has been anti-Trump, anti-Second Amendment and soft on crime which is devastating our cities and rural communities.”
Last Thursday, the Louisiana Republican Party, which endorsed Landry early on, urged all Republican gubernatorial candidates to "boycott" the debate, claiming involvement by "the radical Urban League" means the debate format "is a biased sham" focused on damaging Republicans.
Radical? The Urban League? Ha. Not guilty.
The other Republican candidates must agree with me. They're ignoring their party's call to boycott.
WWL-TV President and General Manager Tod Smith and Judy Reese Morse, president and CEO of the Urban League of Louisiana, denied Landry's and the GOP's claims. The Urban League did not design the debate's format. Journalists did. The Urban League won't ask questions of the candidates. Journalists will.
Maybe the REAL reason Landry won't join the Thursday night program is because he's afraid of independent questions about his record and his campaign pitches.
For the record, the Urban League of Louisiana is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. So is PAR, but Team Landry said nothing about that organization.
Local affiliates of the National Urban League have hosted, co-hosted, sponsored or co-sponsored candidate debates and forums for years. This is neither new nor unique to Louisiana.
In November 2021, the Urban League of Greater Atlanta co-hosted a mayoral forum, as did the Chicago Urban League in May. Last month, the Urban League of Middle Tennessee co-sponsored a mayoral forum featuring a Democrat and a Republican. Later this month, the Fort Wayne Urban League is hosting a candidates forum, including Democratic and Republican mayoral candidates.
Reese Morse reminded me that the group hosted events like this week's debate when it was the Urban League of Greater New Orleans. This is the Urban League's first statewide candidate event since the organization expanded its footprint across Louisiana. She said the group's only aim is giving candidates an opportunity to tell all Louisiana voters how they will lead our state forward.
WWL anchors Eric Paulsen and Charisse Gibson will co-host the debate, and other journalists will have questions.
WWL's Smith said he was "somewhat surprised" by Landry's decision not to participate. After all, debate organizers reached out to candidates directly, not to either political party.
Reese Morse said the GOP blasting the League was "nonsensical" because all candidates should be seeking everyone's vote.
Fortunately, we'll still hear from several Republican candidates for governor. "All accepted the opportunity to get their messages out just like the Democratic candidate," said Tyronne Walker, the league's vice president for policy, strategic partnerships and development.
Landry's no-show and the state GOP's call for other Republican candidates to boycott the debate telegraph a clear intent to isolate and ignore Black and Brown voters who want to hear what ALL candidates have to say about our state's future. Is that a deliberate strategy?
Landry has agreed to participate in a Sept. 15 debate hosted by Nexstar's KLFY-TV in Lafayette.
Landry's timing is interesting.
The next day, Sept. 16, the Urban League of Louisiana will host a Black and Brown Voter Registration Day in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans and Shreveport. Does that make the Urban League partisan? Not if Landry and the state GOP care about Black and Brown citizens.
I hope thousands of unregistered citizens — of all races — sign up to vote in the governor's race. And I hope all voters remember Landry's cowardly decision not to debate his opponents at every opportunity.
Candidates are free to choose when to debate, but governors don't get to pick and choose the crises they have to face. If a candidate can't handle more than one debate, what does that say about his mettle for dealing with multiple constituencies?
