BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s governor and lieutenant governor won’t be elected jointly, after the House rejected the idea.
Rep. Walt Leger, a New Orleans Democrat, proposed the candidates for Louisiana’s top two offices to be chosen on a ticket, like the president and vice president are.
Leger says 26 other states choose the leaders of the offices together. He says a joint ticket could guard against political conflict and help the governor use the state’s number two official as “a true lieutenant.”
Opponents questioned if the change would expand the governor’s power and move Louisiana’s politics to more closely mimic the partisanship of Washington.
Only 36 lawmakers supported the idea Wednesday, while 64 opposed it. The constitutional amendment required two-thirds support, or 70 votes, to reach the Senate.