NEW ORLEANS — 2023 is already shaping up as a big, busy year in local and state politics.
In Louisiana, local and national politics rarely intersect, but this year they already overlap. The contest for Speaker of the House put Metairie Congressman Steve Scalise close to realizing his long-held dream of presiding over the House. He may yet get there.
Meanwhile, Senator John Kennedy has put most other Republicans on “hold” for this year’s governor’s race. Kennedy says he may run, and if he runs, the field will shrink considerably. He promises a decision later this month.
Elsewhere, Mitch Landrieu will dispense billions of dollars across the country as President Biden’s infrastructure czar, and Cedric Richmond has expanded his national profile as a top Democratic consultant — while keeping his hands in local politics.
Now more than ever, all politics is local.