History of Jeff Landry in Timeline
"Jeffrey Martin Landry is an American politician and attorney serving as the 57th governor of Louisiana since 2024. A Republican, he previously served as Louisiana's 45th attorney general (2016-2024) and as the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district (2011-2013)."
December 23, 1970: Birth of Jeff Landry
Jeff Landry was born in St. Martinville, Louisiana on December 23, 1970.
1993: Roommate's Drug Arrest
While Jeff Landry was a St. Martin Parish deputy, his roommate was arrested for smuggling cocaine and hiding it under their shared home in 1993. Landry was not implicated in the crime.
1999: Graduates from University of Southwestern Louisiana
Jeff Landry graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (later the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) with a degree in environmental science in 1999.
2001: Enrolls in Law School
Jeff Landry enrolled in Southern University Law School as a part-time student in 2001.
2003: Transfers to Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Jeff Landry transferred to Loyola University New Orleans College of Law as a full-time student in 2003.
December 2004: Graduates from Law School
Jeff Landry graduated with his J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in December 2004.
2004: Ends Service as Reserve Deputy
Jeff Landry's service as a reserve deputy ended in 2004.
2007: Buddy Caldwell Elected Attorney General
Buddy Caldwell was first elected as Attorney General in 2007.
2007: Runs for Louisiana's 22nd Senate District
Jeff Landry ran for Louisiana's 22nd Senate district, facing Democratic state Representative Troy Hebert, who later declared himself an Independent, in the general election in 2007.
2007: Unsuccessful Run for Louisiana State Senate
Jeff Landry ran for a seat in the Louisiana State Senate but lost to Democratic state Representative Troy Hebert in 2007.
2010: Republican Primary Incident
During an acrimonious 2010 Republican primary election, Jeff Landry's opponent brought up the 1993 incident with his former roommate. Landry maintained he was not involved in any crime, a statement supported by the District Attorney.
2010: Elected to U.S. Congress
Jeff Landry was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2010.
September 2011: Drilling=Jobs Sign at Obama's Speech
Jeff Landry held up a sign saying "Drilling=jobs" during President Obama's national jobs plan speech in September 2011.
2011: Elected to U.S. Congress
Jeff Landry was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2011, representing Louisiana's 3rd congressional district.
2011: Fundraising for Election
Citizens United and Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum political action committee endorsed Landry, who led Boustany in third-quarter 2011 fundraising.
June 2012: Baseless Claim About TSA Screenings
In June 2012, Jeff Landry baselessly claimed on a radio program that the Obama administration was "granting special status or waivers to Muslims as they go through TSA screenings," a claim that was not true.
July 2012: Opposition to LGBT Studies Minor
Jeff Landry publicly opposed the establishment of a minor in LGBT studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, writing a letter to the university president asking him to remove it in July 2012.
2013: Pharmaceutical Settlement Escrow Fund Established
In 2013, while Buddy Caldwell was the state attorney general, a $4 million escrow fund was established from a pharmaceutical settlement.
2013: End of Term in U.S. Congress
Jeff Landry's term in the U.S. Congress ended after he lost his seat due to redistricting in 2013.
February 24, 2014: Challenges Caldwell for Attorney General
Jeff Landry announced his challenge to incumbent Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, who was first elected in 2007, on February 24, 2014.
2015: Dispute with Governor Edwards over Common Core Lawsuit
In 2015, soon after becoming attorney general, Jeff Landry became involved in a public disagreement with Governor Edwards regarding a lawsuit concerning the Common Core State Standards Initiative, which both were against. While Edwards aimed to drop the appeal of a federal lawsuit due to new legislation, Landry initially considered proceeding with it but eventually deferred to Edwards, dropping the suit.
2015: Elected as Attorney General of Louisiana
Jeff Landry defeated incumbent Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell in 2015.
September 2016: Landry Blocks LGBT Protections in State Contracts
In September 2016, Landry announced his decision to block Governor Edwards's attempt to mandate state contracts to include protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation for gay and lesbian employees.
December 14, 2016: Court Rules in Favor of Landry, Declaring Edwards's LGBT Directive Unconstitutional
On December 14, 2016, Judge Todd Hernandez ruled that Governor Edwards's order requiring state contracts to protect LGBT employees from discrimination was unconstitutional, supporting Landry's stance.
2016: Landry's New Orleans Crime Task Force Sparks Controversy
In 2016, Landry's attempt to address crime in New Orleans by forming a task force without consulting local law enforcement led to a dispute with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, who argued that Landry had overstepped his authority and jeopardized police officers' safety.
2016: Becomes Attorney General of Louisiana
Jeff Landry began serving as the 45th Attorney General of Louisiana in 2016.
March 2017: Landry Criticizes Edwards for Budget Cuts and Handling of State Issues
In March 2017, Landry criticized Governor Edwards for appealing the LGBT case and for proposing cuts to the attorney general's office budget while highlighting issues such as failing highways and Louisiana's low ranking as a state.
April 2017: Landry Sues Edwards over Frozen Escrow Fund
In April 2017, Landry filed a lawsuit against Governor Edwards, disputing his freezing of a $4 million escrow fund from a 2013 pharmaceutical settlement. Landry argued that his office was entitled to the funds for its budget. Edwards, however, contended that Landry's office should be subject to the same budget cuts as other state offices.
July 2017: Landry Joins Republican Attorneys General in Threatening DACA Lawsuit
In July 2017, Landry joined a group of Republican attorneys general, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in threatening to sue the Trump administration if the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy was not terminated.
2017: Misuse of Campaign Funds Begins
Jeff Landry began misusing campaign funds for a car payment in 2017, according to an investigation by The Advocate.
April 2018: Landry Advocates for Student-Led Prayer in Public Schools
In April 2018, Landry, alongside U.S. Representative Mike Johnson and actor Kirk Cameron, publicly supported student-led prayer and religious expression in public schools during rallies and a promotional video, responding to a lawsuit against the Bossier Parish School Board over the inclusion of Christianity in classrooms.
August 2018: Considers Running for Governor
Jeff Landry hinted at the possibility of forgoing his reelection bid for Attorney General in 2019 to challenge Governor John Bel Edwards in the upcoming election in August 2018.
2018: Landry Elected President of the National Association of Attorneys General
In 2018, Landry was elected to serve as president of the National Association of Attorneys General for a one-year term.
October 12, 2019: Re-elected as Attorney General
Jeff Landry was re-elected as Attorney General by a significant margin on October 12, 2019.
2019: Landry Declines to Support SAFE Banking Act
In 2019, Landry chose not to support the SAFE Banking Act, which aimed to provide marijuana-related businesses access to banking services.
2019: Chairs Louisiana Committee for a Conservative Majority
Jeff Landry chaired the Louisiana Committee for a Conservative Majority, which targeted "Republican in Name Only" (RINO) state legislators in the 2019 elections.
2019: Potential Challenge to Governor Edwards
Jeff Landry considered challenging Governor John Bel Edwards, who was seeking a second term, in the 2019 election.
2019: Misuse of Campaign Funds Ends
Jeff Landry's misuse of campaign funds for a car payment ended in 2019, totaling about $11,600.
December 8, 2020: Landry Joins Lawsuit Challenging 2020 Presidential Election Results
On December 8, 2020, Landry joined a lawsuit initiated by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that challenged the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, seeking to overturn Joe Biden's victory. The lawsuit, which was quickly rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court, alleged unconstitutional actions in the states' ballot counts.
November 2021: Matthew Derbes Files Lawsuit Against Jeff Landry
In November 2021, Matthew Derbes, a former deputy director in the district attorney's office, filed a lawsuit against Jeff Landry. The suit alleged Landry concealed records related to Derbes's sexual harassment complaints and retaliated against him for filing the complaints. Landry also attempted to seal public records related to the case, but a judge ruled against him.
2021: Landry Sues Federal Government Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers
In 2021, Landry filed a lawsuit against the federal government over the requirement for healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, arguing that the mandate was unconstitutional and infringed on the rights of healthcare workers.
July 2022: Louisiana's Near-Total Abortion Ban
Louisiana enacted a near-total ban on abortion in July 2022.
August 2022: Opposition to Funding for New Orleans Power Station
Jeff Landry urged the Louisiana State Bond Commission to postpone funding for a power station project in New Orleans, citing the city's decriminalization of abortion, in August 2022.
September 2022: Funding Approved Despite Objections
The Louisiana State Bond Commission approved the funding for the New Orleans power station, despite objections from Jeff Landry, in September 2022.
October 5, 2022: Jeff Landry Launches Campaign for Governor of Louisiana
On October 5, 2022, Jeff Landry announced his candidacy for governor of Louisiana in the 2023 election. He received endorsements from the Republican Party of Louisiana and former President Donald Trump.
December 2022: Investigation Reveals Misspent Campaign Funds
An investigation by The Advocate in December 2022 revealed that Jeff Landry had misused campaign funds on a portion of a car payment for a Chevrolet Suburban, starting in 2017.
September 2023: Louisiana Board of Ethics Charges Landry with Ethics Violations
In September 2023, the Louisiana Board of Ethics charged Landry with accepting a gift related to his position as state attorney general. The charges involved accepting private air travel from campaign donors and failing to report the flights in financial disclosures. Landry denied any wrongdoing, calling the charges "election interference."
October 14, 2023: Jeff Landry Elected Governor of Louisiana
Jeff Landry was elected governor of Louisiana in the primary election on October 14, 2023. He secured 52% of the vote, avoiding a runoff election.
2023: Elected as Governor of Louisiana
Jeff Landry won the 2023 Louisiana gubernatorial election in the first round.
January 7, 2024: Jeff Landry's Inauguration as Governor of Louisiana
On January 7, 2024, Jeff Landry participated in a ceremonial oath-taking and delivered his inaugural address, marking the beginning of his term as governor of Louisiana.
March 2024: Landry Signs Bills Reversing Criminal Justice Reforms
In March 2024, Jeff Landry signed several bills that rolled back criminal justice reforms implemented in 2017. The changes included the elimination of parole, restrictions on earning good behavior points in prison, increased penalties for certain offenses, and the authorization of new execution methods. Additionally, he signed a bill allowing concealed carry of handguns without permits.
2024: Landry's Political Donations from Pfizer Revealed
By 2024, it was revealed that Landry had received $25,000 in political contributions from Pfizer, an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company.
2024: Becomes Governor of Louisiana
Jeff Landry began serving as the 57th governor of Louisiana in 2024.