Jeff Landry

Jeffrey Martin Landry (born December 23, 1970) is an American politician and attorney who has served since 2024 as the 57th governor of Louisiana.

Landry was born in St. Martinville, Louisiana, on December 23, 1970, to Al and Edna (née Bienvenu) Landry.

His mother was a teacher at Trinity Catholic School in St. Martinville.

His father was an architect and businessman.

Landry received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in environmental and sustainable resources with a minor in biology.

He received a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.

Landry served in the United States Army from 1987 to 1998.

He served in the Louisiana National Guard and was stationed at Fort Hood during Operation Desert Storm.

He was honorably discharged at the rank of sergeant.

Landry is a former St. Martin Parish sheriff's deputy and a former police officer in Parks, Louisiana.

During his time as a St. Martin Parish deputy, he shared a rental home in St. Martinville with two friends, one a childhood friend, and the other a fellow deputy.

The fellow deputy smuggled about $10,000 worth of cocaine and stashed it underneath their home.

Once his roommates caught on to the crime, they turned him into the police, who executed a search warrant, which Landry signed.

The home was searched, and his roommate lost his job and went to prison.

Landry remained on as a reserve deputy until 2004.

He ran for a seat in the Louisiana State Senate in 2007 but narrowly lost.

In 2007, Landry ran for Louisiana's 22nd Senate district when incumbent Republican state senator Craig Romero was term-limited.

In the general election, he faced Democratic state Representative Troy Hebert of Jeanerette; Hebert later declared himself an Independent.

Hebert defeated Landry, 51% to 49%.

At the time the district had a 3-to-1 Democratic majority.

A lifelong Republican, Landry entered the race to represent Louisiana's 3rd congressional district after Democratic incumbent Charlie Melancon relinquished the seat to run for U.S. Senate.

He was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2010, serving one term until he lost his seat after redistricting.

Landry won his party's nomination in the October 2, 2010, a runoff election, defeating former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Hunt Downer of Houma, Louisiana, 19,657 votes to 10,549 votes (65%–35%).

Louisiana lost a congressional district due to out-migration during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Landry's district was dismantled and its territory split among three neighboring districts.

Landry was drawn into the same district as fellow Republican Charles Boustany of the neighboring 7th District.

The new district retained Landry's district number—the 3rd—but geographically and demographically was more Boustany's district; Landry retained only the western third of his old district.

Citizens United and Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum political action committee endorsed Landry.

He led Boustany in third-quarter 2011 fundraising, $251,000 to $218,000.

According to the Federal Election Commission, Boustany led in cash on hand, $1.1 million–$402,000.

In the November 6 election, Landry trailed Boustany by 45,596 votes.

Boustany led the five-candidate field with 139,123 votes (44.7%); Landry received 93,527 (30%).

Landry defeated incumbent Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell in 2015, and was reelected four years later with over 66% of the vote.

During his tenure, he supported Louisiana's abortion ban, advocated for prayer in public schools, and challenged Governor John Bel Edwards on LGBT issues.

Landry won the 2023 Louisiana gubernatorial election with a majority of the vote in the first round.

Until his election as attorney general in 2015, Landry was an attorney and small business owner in New Iberia.

A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th attorney general of Louisiana from 2016 to 2024 and as the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2013.

Born in St. Martinville, Louisiana, Landry graduated from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law.

He was a member of the Louisiana National Guard, which he joined while in high school, for 11 years.

While in college, Landry worked as a police officer and sheriff's deputy.