Attorney General Caldwell draws powerful opponent in ex-Congressman Landry

BATON ROUGE – Former Congressman Jeff Landry has announced that he intends to run against James “Buddy” Caldwell in the upcoming Louisiana Attorney General’s race.

A one-term congressman for the third congressional district from 2011 until 2013, Landry’s district was eliminated after a population drop in the 2010 census. Running against four-term incumbent Charles Boustany in the seventh congressional district, Landry forced a runoff, but was unable to defeat the entrenched candidate.

Landry is a New Iberia-based attorney and small businessman whose prior foray into politics before becoming a congressman was in a state race he narrowly lost in 2007. Before attending law school at Loyola University – New Orleans, he was a deputy sheriff in St. Martin Parish and police officer in Parks.

“Louisiana’s next Attorney General not only needs to operate the office in a fiscally responsible and professional manner, our next Attorney General also needs to be an advocate for the citizens of Louisiana,” Landry said in a statement.

In Landry’s announcement, the former congressman was noted as a “leader on national energy policy emphasizing domestic oil & gas production” and and “an advocate for true reductions in wasteful spending.”

Caldwell, a longtime Democrat who switched to the Republican Party after 22 years, is in his second term at attorney general and has held the post since 2008. Recently he has come under fire for allowing a lawsuit by the Southeast Flood Protection Authority – East (SLFPA-E) against 97 oil and energy exploration companies for their part in the alleged destruction and degradation of Louisiana’s coast. Earlier this year Caldwell and his office were named in a lawsuit brought forth by the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association concerning the SLFPA-E.

In addition, Caldwell has been at the center of criticism concerning his use of contingency fee attorneys on behalf of the state.

The election will be held in October 2015.