Louisiana
Louisiana takes first steps toward closed primary elections supported by Gov. Jeff Landry
Louisiana is taking the first steps toward changing its elections to a closed primary system favored by new Republican Gov. Jeff Landry as part of a Special Session of the Legislature.
Republican Lafayette Rep. Julie Emerson’s House Bill 17, which is supported by Landry and legislative leadership, would require closed primary elections for federal and state offices and local judges but keep Louisiana’s current “jungle primary” system for most other local races like sheriffs, district attorneys and police juries.
Emerson’s bill is set to get its first hearing Tuesday morning in the eight-day session that began Monday. Currently, Louisiana only conducts closed primary elections for presidential primaries.
In his address to the Legislature, Landry called Louisiana’s current system in which all candidates regardless of party run against each other in an open primary where all voters can participate “a relic of the past which has left us dead last.”
“It is time to rewrite our story and move to a similar system we have already tried, tested and still use in presidential primaries today,” Landry said.
In a closed primary system, recognized political parties would have their own elections with the winners advancing to a general election in which all voters could participate. Candidates without party affiliations would automatically advance to the general election.
Louisiana’s jungle primary system, in which the two candidates who received the most votes regardless of party affiliation advance to the general unless a candidate takes more than 50% of the votes, is unique in America, although there are many other states with some form of open primary elections.
Supporters in both camps each released competing polls they paid for that bolstered their arguments.
One good government group, Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, directly opposes closed primaries and a second, Council for a Better Louisiana, said the short session doesn’t provide enough time to fully debate its merits.
“The unnecessary switch could cost more, confuse voters and disenfranchise those that don’t belong to either the Republican or Democratic party,” PAR said in a commentary. “The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana believes the public receives no benefit from such a move.”
Louisiana Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy has been the most prominent political voice supporting keeping the current system.
“It’s going to cost $90 million, money that could be spent on roads, making our streets safer and lowering the cost of property and casualty insurance instead of spent on more elections,” Cassidy said of moving to closed primary election. “It disenfranchises 800,000 Louisianans who are no party. Sorry, you’re not in our club. We’re not going to let you in.”
But Landry, fresh off his stunning outright primary win last fall, wields enormous power out of the gate with a super majority of Republicans in both the House and Senate who aren’t likely to buck the governor this early in his reign.
He won election to Congress more than a decade ago during Louisiana’s brief experience with closed primaries and has has long supported making the switch permanent.
“It is fair and it is common sense,” he said. “And, for our independent or no party voters who by their own choice decide not to join a political party – their voice is heard and counted … on a simpler, shorter, clearer November election ballot containing generally one Democrat, one Republican and ballot qualified independent candidates.”
More: Jeff Landry calls session to draw new congressional, Supreme Court maps, change elections
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A new study from the personal-finance company WalletHub ranks Louisiana among the worst states in the country for job seekers in 2025.
The report places Louisiana 49th overall out of 50 states in WalletHub’s annual Best & Worst States for Jobs ranking.
WalletHub said the national unemployment rate sits at 4.3%, and its labor force participation is at its lowest level in the past couple of years.
To help job seekers find better opportunities, WalletHub compared all 50 states using 34 key indicators of job-market strength and economic vitality. The study looked at factors such as employment growth, job opportunities, median annual income and average commute time.
WalletHub said that states ranking higher tend to have stronger economies, higher wages, and more stable employment conditions.
Louisiana’s rankings in major categories include:
- 40th – Job opportunities.
- 27th – Employment growth.
- 28th – Monthly average starting salary.
- 42nd – Unemployment rate.
- 48th – Median annual income (adjusted for cost of living).
- 47th – Average work week (in hours).
- 33rd – Average commute time.
- 50th – Job security.
Best states to find a job, according to WalletHub
- Massachusetts.
- Connecticut.
- Minnesota.
- Vermont.
- New Hampshire.
Latest News
Two young girls were injured after they were thrown from a Ferris wheel at a Louisiana festival Saturday.
The two girls, around the age of 11, fell off the ride at the Harvest Festival in New Roads just before noon Saturday, Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux said.
Both were taken to the Children’s Hospital in Baton Rouge for their injuries. Though the extend of injuries were not disclosed, they are expected to survive.
After the incident all the rides at the Harvest Festival were temporarily shut down.
The Louisiana State Fire Marshals inspected the rides, and all were reopened except the Ferris wheel, which remains shuttered.
Video of the incident suggests that a mechanical failure in the part holding the children in their seat may be to blame, the sheriff said.
The fire marshals are conducting an investigation into the incident.
The festival, which runs from Friday to Sunday is to celebrate agriculture and community and includes food, live music and rides, according to its website.
The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 1, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Nov. 1 drawing
02-26-43-44-62, Powerball: 22, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Nov. 1 drawing
3-8-4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Nov. 1 drawing
6-0-9-3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from Nov. 1 drawing
2-8-9-1-3
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Easy 5 numbers from Nov. 1 drawing
11-12-18-19-21
Check Easy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto numbers from Nov. 1 drawing
04-11-15-30-40-41
Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.
By mail, follow these instructions:
- Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
- Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
- Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
- Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.
Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:
Louisiana Lottery Headquarters
555 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:
555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.
When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
- Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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