The seven candidates for Louisiana’s next governor appeared on stage together for the first time ever in a Friday evening debate.

Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican who leads the polls, joined his competitors after skipping the first debate and a number of group events that are traditional campaign stops.

He and Shawn Wilson, a Democrat who trails him in the polls, caught shots from other candidates as they debated abortion, accountability in policing, pandemic restrictions and the insurance crisis.

The other contenders included four Republicans: state Sen. Sharon Hewitt of Slidell, state Treasurer John Schroder, former business lobby head Stephen Waguespack and state Rep. Richard Nelson of Mandeville. Hunter Lundy, a trial lawyer and political independent, was also on stage.

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The candidates fought to distinguish themselves from the crowd with the Oct. 14 primary less than a month away. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote that day, there will be a runoff between the top two vote-getters on Nov. 18.

Abortion

Louisiana fell under a near-total abortion ban after Roe v. Wade was overturned, with few medical exceptions and no carve outs for incest or rape. Recent polls show Louisiana residents are split on the state’s abortion policy.

Wilson declined to label himself as either “pro-life” or “pro-choice” after a moderator asked why he removed language (from his website) describing himself as the former.

Other candidates needled him on that point.

“Shawn Wilson is talking out of both sides of his mouth,” said Lundy, who noted he did not support adding exceptions for rape or incest to the state law.

Waguespack said he supports the existing law but doesn’t want “doctors to blink in that moment” when they need to make a life-saving decision for a mother.

“Shawn is both pro-choice and pro-life, which makes him either pro both or pro neither,” Waguespack said. “Jeff is willing to put doctors in jail and women in jail if they cross state lines to go and service their own health care needs. John’s not sure.”

Schroder said he supports the law as is, but then said there is confusion around interpretation of the law and what doctors can and can’t do.

Nelson said he would push the Legislature to add rape and incest exceptions as governor. He pointed out he was one of only a handful of Republicans to favor the exceptions in the statehouse.

Wilson said he can only make decisions for himself and that he wouldn’t put his will onto others. 

“There’s only one person on this stage tonight who will ever experience that decision of having an abortion or not,” he said in an apparent reference to the only woman on stage.

Hewitt said she supports the law on the books and wouldn’t add further exceptions.

Another pandemic?

Candidates were asked how they would handle another pandemic — and if they would support mandates on masks, vaccines and shutdowns. 

Landry put his stance like this: “As governor, I will never allow the government to get in between you and your doctor. I will never let the government get between you and your hairdresser, and I also will not let the government get between you and your priest or your pastor.”

Wilson said he thinks “it’s oxymoronic that we can put the government in between a woman and her doctor, but not when it comes to vaccinations.” 

He said he would make his decisions based on science and see what is warranted based on the situation.

“Remember, the mask mandate and other things that were done were there to protect the life of families around the state so that we can have hospital beds,” he said.

Nelson, Waguespack, Hewitt and Lundy said they would not impose such mandates. Nelson said he opposed shutdowns even in the early months of the pandemic and that the effects on school children were “terrible.”

Toll roads

Every candidate but Lundy raised their hands when asked if they would consider adding toll roads to fund infrastructure repairs.

Lundy said he wouldn’t put up tolls because he feels they are essentially taxes. 

Nelson said he would limit the tolls to expanding infrastructure. 

“The state government should really appropriate that money to replace those bridges that have not been maintained,” he said. “But there are, there is a reason, and there is a justification of putting [a toll] in somewhere where you’re expanding infrastructure that wasn’t there before.”

Waguespack pointed to Texas as an example of how he would use tolls. Like Nelson, he said he would add them on roads that make commutes easier if there is a free alternative route to use.

Landry said that, for the last 100 years, whether a road would be built in an area depended on if the legislator voted with the governor.

“If you don’t, the asphalt stops,” he said.

Schroder said he is open to tolls and doesn’t want to rule them out as an option. 

Making the case

With mere weeks until voters head to the polls, candidates made their case for why they’re the right person to lead the state.

Landry pointed to his experience as a police officer, sheriff’s deputy, economic development officer and business owner.

“I have stood in the shoes of the people that struggle way more than they should in this state,” he said. “We deserve a state government as good as the people of Louisiana.”

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Wilson highlighted “25 years of bipartisan leadership working under Democratic and Republican governors.”

“Unlike others in this race, I’m not intimidated by race. I’m not intimidated by party,” he said. “We are going to make a difference and it’s time that we stop saying the quiet things out loud and deal with real issues and push forward for a better Louisiana.”

Lundy gave his blunt account of the race in his closing statement, saying he is the only one with the funds to beat Landry.

“Jeff Landry has already made his decision in fixing the race by having the GOP endorse him before any of these other people got a chance,” he said. “Of course, his desire is to have a run in opposition with Shawn Wilson. Shawn Wilson cannot win this race.”

Schroder said he would run Louisiana like a CEO.

“You got four lawyers, two engineers and a business guy,” he said. “…As your governor, I will address the cronyism corruption that infects this state.”

Hewitt said the race is far from over.

“The political insiders would lead you to believe that this race is over and they’re also telling you who to vote for, but I think voters are smarter than that,” she said. “I don’t think you want a bureaucrat or trial attorney to run the state of Louisiana as governor. I think you want a real problem solver.”

Nelson, the youngest person in the race at 37, said the biggest problem facing Louisiana is migration out of the state. He looks to Texas and Florida as examples of what the state should follow.

“We’re losing 40,000 people a year because we don’t have the jobs and opportunity here in Louisiana,” he said.

Note: This report will be updated with additional details.