Nine of the 13 Republican Parish Executive Committees from the 3rd Congressional District unanimously reaffirmed their previous endorsements at a special joint meeting in Thibodaux last night, according to a release by the group and the Landry campaign.

The committees, representing  the parish Republican Party organizations in Ascension, St. James, Assumption, St. John, Iberia, St. Martin, Lafourche, St. Mary and St. Charles, made the decision that Jeff Landry should move forward as the Republican nominee in the 3rd District.

Landry’s opponent Hunt Downer, who as a member of the Louisiana state legislature represented parts of Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes, previously received endorsements from the Parish Executive Committees in Terrebonne and Jefferson.

Two other parishes represented in Congress by the 3rd District, St. Bernard and Plaquemines, have not made endorsements. Word has it that St. Bernard will be joining the Landry camp after its committee has a meeting later this week, while Plaquemines isn’t likely to make endorsements.

Landry captured 49.6 percent of the vote in the GOP primary on Saturday, to Downer’s 36 percent. There have been multiple calls by various Republican officials for Downer to retire from the race, but so far he says he’ll continue. The runoff will take place Oct. 2.

Meanwhile, Downer, whose campaign seems to be fighting a running battle with Tea Party groups since skipping a Tea Party-sponsored debate two weeks ago, responded to the Tea Party of Louisiana’s call for him to drop out by calling them a “small group”…

“Who is the Tea Party of Louisiana?” Downer said after addressing a Baton Rouge group of mostly retired military officers. “That’s one small group. They have their own motives and that’s fine. So be it.”