Cassidy won’t run for Louisiana governor in 2023

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced on Friday that he will not run for Louisiana governor in 2023, saying that he would instead seek to advance a series of longtime legislative priorities in the Senate.

“When I was elected to the United States Senate, I was given a job to represent the people of Louisiana and serve the United States of America,” Cassidy said in a statement. “For the last several years, I have been working on specific legislation that is critical for the future of our state and country. I don’t know if these solutions will pass, but I know they will not pass if I decide to run for another office.” 

“I have chosen to remain focused on the job I was sent here to do and to see these efforts through. Therefore, I will not be a candidate for governor.”

Cassidy’s decision came a day after he announced that he would be the top Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. 

Cassidy has cultivated a reputation for bipartisanship in the Senate. He was one of only seven Republican senators who voted last year to convict former President Trump in his second impeachment trial. Cassidy has stood by that vote, though it received considerable backlash from Louisiana Republicans.

His decision to forego a run for governor in 2023 leaves the focus on his colleague, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), who said on Monday that he’s giving “serious consideration” to a gubernatorial bid. 

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) launched a campaign for governor last month.