The legislature reconvenes at two this afternoon to begin a 22-day special session to adjust the primary election calendar. According to the bill co-authored by Port Allen Republican Senator Caleb Kleinpeter, the dates for the primary and runoff would be pushed back 30 days. This comes as the Supreme Court considers its ruling on the constitutionality of the creation of the state’s second majority Black congressional district. Kleinpeter says when the Supreme Court will rule is anyone’s guess.
“There’s been speculation that they’re going to drag it out all the way until June, and then we’re also hearing rumors that they could honestly come back before Christmas,” Kleinpeter said.
Kleinpeter says even though Governor Landry scheduled the session for 22 days, he expects it to gavel out sine die much sooner.
“He gave us enough time just in case we ran into some snags. He didn’t want to limit us to a small timeframe. He gave us extra days just in case,” Kleinpeter said.
New Orleans Democratic Representative Candace Newell also expects the session to be done well before the November 13th deadline. She has concerns about moving the calendar.
“And I just want to make sure that these changes do not impact people who want to run and represent our state and impact people who want to participate in the process,” Newell said.
There’s also the possibility that someone may file a bill that would do away with the closed primary and go back to an open primary, which would eliminate the primary and runoff altogether and go straight to Election Day on November 3rd, 2026. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says he’s in favor of that – and so is Newell.
“It may be an amendment to some of these other bills that we have, but I am prepared to have that conversation about the closed primary,” Nungesser said.
