Jeff Landry
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Martin "Jeff" Landry (born December 23, 1970) is the U.S. Representative
for . He is a member of the Republican Party
and the Tea Party Caucus
.
and businessman. Jeff Landry received a Bachelor of Science
from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
(then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana) in environmental and sustainable resources, with a minor in biology
. He earned a JD
degree from Loyola University New Orleans Law School.
He served at Ft. Hood during Operation Desert Storm, having been discharged from the Louisiana National Guard
with the rank of sergeant
. He served eleven years in the Louisiana National Guard
. His military commendations include the Army Achievement and Army Commendation medals, National Defense and Overseas Training ribbons, and the Louisiana War Cross
.
's deputy in St. Martin Parish and was previously a police officer in Parks
in St. Martin Parish. He was formerly employed by the St. Martin Economic Development Authority. Out of high school, he worked in the sugar cane fields. He is an attorney and small businessman in New Iberia
.
, Landry narrowly lost a race for the District 22 seat in the Louisiana State Senate
to the Democrat
Troy Hebert
of Jeanerette
in Iberia Parish, who later declared himself an Independent. The two competed for the right to succeed the term-limited Republican senator, Craig Romero
, for whom Landry had been a senatorial aide. Landry polled 14,308 votes (49 percent) to Hebert's 14,876 (51 percent). At the time the district had a 3-1 Democratic majority.
A lifelong Republican, Landry jumped into the race after Democratic incumbent Charlie Melancon
gave up the seat to make an unsuccessful run for the Senate against David Vitter
. Landry won his party's congressional nomination in a runoff election held on October 2. He defeated former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Hunt Downer
by 19,657 votes to 10,549 votes (65% to 35%). He won every parish in the district except for Downer's Terrebonne Parish
.
Landry participated in 2010 in Louisiana Tea Party movement
rallies and carries the endorsement of that organization. The Third District voted 61-37 for U.S. Senator John S. McCain of Arizona
in the 2008 presidential election. The Tea Party ran a "Down with Downer" campaign and referred to him as a Democrat (Downer had been a Democrat until 2001). Downer accused Landry of compensating a Tea Party organizer in return for the endorsement of the group. Downer ran advertising which accused Landry of misleading voters about Downer's position on abortion
.
Landry nearly won the GOP
nomination outright in the August 28 closed primary, but he fell .9 of 1 percent short of the 50 percent plus one-vote threshold required for nomination in Louisiana. Therefore he and Downer entered the runoff contest. In the showdown, Landry won 79 percent in his own Iberia Parish, while Downer was held to 61 percent in Terrebonne. Landry polled more than 70 percent in the runoff in St. Mary
, St. Martin
, St. John the Baptist
, St. Charles
, and St. James parishes.
In 2003, Downer, who like Landry received his law degree from Loyola New Orleans, had trailed badly in the nonpartisan blanket primary for governor in a contest ultimately won by the Democrat Kathleen Blanco
of Lafayette
, then the winner over her eventual successor, Republican Bobby Jindal
.
Landry defeated the Democrat Ravi Kishan Sangisetty, an attorney from Houma, 108,957 votes (64%) to 61,909 (36%). He won all but two smaller parishes in the district, St. James and St. John the Baptist
. He won Sangisetty's own Terrebonne Parish. Landry became the second freshman Republican to represent the 3rd District since Reconstruction.
Both candidates pledged to reject congressional perks for themselves, including retirement and health care benefits. Landry said that Sangisetty's "choice of party affiliation and alliance with his Speaker
, Nancy Pelosi
, proves he supports the Washington
Democrat's liberal agenda of increased taxes, government takeovers of private industry and dramatically liberal values."
2012
Since Louisiana lost a district due to population losses from Hurricanes Katrina
and Wilma
, the district will be absorbed by adjoining districts in the upcoming 2012 congressional elections. Landry is running for re-election in newly redrawn 3rd CD, and will face Republican Lafayette-based U.S. Congressman Charles Boustany
in the primary. Boustany was elected in 2004, and will be the establishment candidate, while Landry, whose a Freshman, will be a grassroots tea party candidate. Landry was endorsed by Citizens United
. Landry lead Boustany in third-quarter 2011 fundraising, $251,000 to $218,000. According to Federal Election Commission
, Boustany leads in cash-on-hand lead, $1.1 million-$402,000.
Caucus Memberships
, the American Legion
, the American Bar Association
, Iberia Parish Republican Executive Committee, Ducks Unlimited
and the National Rifle Association
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for . He is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and the Tea Party Caucus
Tea Party Caucus
The Tea Party Caucus is a caucus of the United States House of Representatives and Senate launched and chaired by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on July 16, 2010. The caucus is dedicated to promoting what it considers fiscal responsibility, adherence to the movement's interpretation of...
.
Early life, education, and military service
Landry's mother is a religion school teacher at Trinity Catholic School in St. Martinville, the seat of St. Martin Parish. His father is an architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and businessman. Jeff Landry received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...
(then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana) in environmental and sustainable resources, with a minor in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
. He earned a JD
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Loyola University New Orleans Law School.
He served at Ft. Hood during Operation Desert Storm, having been discharged from the Louisiana National Guard
Louisiana National Guard
The Louisiana National Guard consists of the:*Louisiana Army National Guard** includes the U.S. 256th Infantry Brigade*Louisiana Air National Guard-External links:*** compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
with the rank of sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. He served eleven years in the Louisiana National Guard
Louisiana National Guard
The Louisiana National Guard consists of the:*Louisiana Army National Guard** includes the U.S. 256th Infantry Brigade*Louisiana Air National Guard-External links:*** compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
. His military commendations include the Army Achievement and Army Commendation medals, National Defense and Overseas Training ribbons, and the Louisiana War Cross
War Cross
War Cross is the name for a military decoration in various countries, including:* Croix de guerre, of France* Croix de guerre * War Cross also known as Croix de guerre or Oorlogskruis...
.
Pre-political career
Landry is a former sheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
's deputy in St. Martin Parish and was previously a police officer in Parks
Parks, Louisiana
Parks is a village in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 533 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in St. Martin Parish. He was formerly employed by the St. Martin Economic Development Authority. Out of high school, he worked in the sugar cane fields. He is an attorney and small businessman in New Iberia
New Iberia, Louisiana
New Iberia is a city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States, 30 miles southeast of Lafayette. In 1900, 6,815 people lived in New Iberia; in 1910, 7,499; and in 1940, 13,747...
.
2007 State Senate election
In the 2007 general electionGeneral election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, Landry narrowly lost a race for the District 22 seat in the Louisiana State Senate
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
to the Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Troy Hebert
Troy Hebert
Troy Michael Hebert is a politician from Jeanerette, Louisiana, who is the current Commissioner of the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control. Hebert was appointed commissioner by Republican Governor Bobby Jindal...
of Jeanerette
Jeanerette, Louisiana
Jeanerette is a city in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, United States. Known as "Sugar City", it had a population of 5,997 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Iberia Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Early years:...
in Iberia Parish, who later declared himself an Independent. The two competed for the right to succeed the term-limited Republican senator, Craig Romero
Craig Romero
Craig Francis Romero is a New Iberia corporate salesman who represented District 22 in the Louisiana State Senate from 1993 to 2008. The district includes the parishes of Iberia, Lafayette, St. Martin, and Vermilion. Romero was president of the Iberia Parish government from 1984 to 1992. He...
, for whom Landry had been a senatorial aide. Landry polled 14,308 votes (49 percent) to Hebert's 14,876 (51 percent). At the time the district had a 3-1 Democratic majority.
Elections
2010A lifelong Republican, Landry jumped into the race after Democratic incumbent Charlie Melancon
Charlie Melancon
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Melancon was the U.S. Representative for , serving from 2005 to 2011, and the unsuccessful 2010 Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican David Vitter.-Early life, education and career:...
gave up the seat to make an unsuccessful run for the Senate against David Vitter
David Vitter
David Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...
. Landry won his party's congressional nomination in a runoff election held on October 2. He defeated former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Hunt Downer
Hunt Downer
Major General Huntington Blair Downer, Jr., known as Hunt Downer , is a Republican politician in the U.S. state of Louisiana who is the assistant adjutant general of the state National Guard and the first ever director of the new Louisiana Veterans Affairs Department.A former Speaker of the...
by 19,657 votes to 10,549 votes (65% to 35%). He won every parish in the district except for Downer's Terrebonne Parish
Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana
Terrebonne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Houma. Its population was 111,860...
.
Landry participated in 2010 in Louisiana Tea Party movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
rallies and carries the endorsement of that organization. The Third District voted 61-37 for U.S. Senator John S. McCain of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
in the 2008 presidential election. The Tea Party ran a "Down with Downer" campaign and referred to him as a Democrat (Downer had been a Democrat until 2001). Downer accused Landry of compensating a Tea Party organizer in return for the endorsement of the group. Downer ran advertising which accused Landry of misleading voters about Downer's position on abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
Landry nearly won the GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination outright in the August 28 closed primary, but he fell .9 of 1 percent short of the 50 percent plus one-vote threshold required for nomination in Louisiana. Therefore he and Downer entered the runoff contest. In the showdown, Landry won 79 percent in his own Iberia Parish, while Downer was held to 61 percent in Terrebonne. Landry polled more than 70 percent in the runoff in St. Mary
St. Mary Parish, Louisiana
St. Mary Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Franklin. As of 2000, the population was 53,500.The Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of St. Mary Parish.-Geography:...
, St. Martin
St. Martin Parish, Louisiana
St. Martin Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is St. Martinville. As of the 2000 census, the population was 48,583.St...
, St. John the Baptist
St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
St. John the Baptist Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana.The parish seat is Edgard, an unincorporated area and the unofficial parish captial is LaPlace, an unincorporated area. St. John the Baptist is one of the original 19 parishes in Louisiana. In 2010, its population was...
, St. Charles
St. Charles Parish, Louisiana
St. Charles Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Hahnville. In 2010, its population was 52,780. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, this was part of the German Coast, an area along the Mississippi River settled by numerous German pioneers in the...
, and St. James parishes.
In 2003, Downer, who like Landry received his law degree from Loyola New Orleans, had trailed badly in the nonpartisan blanket primary for governor in a contest ultimately won by the Democrat Kathleen Blanco
Kathleen Blanco
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco was the 54th Governor of Louisiana, having served from January 2004 until January 2008. She was the first woman to be elected to the office of governor of Louisiana....
of Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, then the winner over her eventual successor, Republican Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
.
Landry defeated the Democrat Ravi Kishan Sangisetty, an attorney from Houma, 108,957 votes (64%) to 61,909 (36%). He won all but two smaller parishes in the district, St. James and St. John the Baptist
St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
St. John the Baptist Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana.The parish seat is Edgard, an unincorporated area and the unofficial parish captial is LaPlace, an unincorporated area. St. John the Baptist is one of the original 19 parishes in Louisiana. In 2010, its population was...
. He won Sangisetty's own Terrebonne Parish. Landry became the second freshman Republican to represent the 3rd District since Reconstruction.
Both candidates pledged to reject congressional perks for themselves, including retirement and health care benefits. Landry said that Sangisetty's "choice of party affiliation and alliance with his Speaker
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
, Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
, proves he supports the Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Democrat's liberal agenda of increased taxes, government takeovers of private industry and dramatically liberal values."
2012
Since Louisiana lost a district due to population losses from Hurricanes Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Wilma
Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty-second storm , thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season...
, the district will be absorbed by adjoining districts in the upcoming 2012 congressional elections. Landry is running for re-election in newly redrawn 3rd CD, and will face Republican Lafayette-based U.S. Congressman Charles Boustany
Charles Boustany
Charles William Boustany, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education, and medical career:...
in the primary. Boustany was elected in 2004, and will be the establishment candidate, while Landry, whose a Freshman, will be a grassroots tea party candidate. Landry was endorsed by Citizens United
Citizens United
Citizens United is a conservative non-profit organization in the United States. Its president and chairman is David Bossie.-Overview:Citizens United describes its mission as being dedicated to restoring the United States government to "citizens' control" and to "assert American values of limited...
. Landry lead Boustany in third-quarter 2011 fundraising, $251,000 to $218,000. According to Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
, Boustany leads in cash-on-hand lead, $1.1 million-$402,000.
Committee assignments
- House Committee on Natural Resources
- House Committee on Transportation & InfrastructureUnited States House Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureThe U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. John Mica currently chairs the committee.-History:...
- House Committee on Small BusinessUnited States House Committee on Small BusinessThe United States House Committee on Small Business is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.-History:On December 4, 1941, the U. S...
Caucus Memberships
- Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
- Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus
- National Guard & Reserve Components Caucus
- Coast Guard Caucus
- General Aviation Caucus
- Tea Party CaucusTea Party CaucusThe Tea Party Caucus is a caucus of the United States House of Representatives and Senate launched and chaired by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on July 16, 2010. The caucus is dedicated to promoting what it considers fiscal responsibility, adherence to the movement's interpretation of...
- Values Action Team
Personal life
Landry and his wife, the former Sharon LeBlanc, have one son. He is a member of the Roman Catholic men's organization, the Knights of ColumbusKnights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
, the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
, the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
, Iberia Parish Republican Executive Committee, Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It currently has approximately 780,000 members, mostly in the United States and Canada.-Introduction:Ducks Unlimited was...
and the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
.
External links
- U.S. Congressman Jeff Landry official U.S. House site
- Jeff Landry for Louisiana official campaign website
- Jeff Landry at FactCheck.org