If you are graduating this semester or you are attending a graduation in Louisiana this year, chances are, you will hear from a liberal during the commencement ceremony.

In a survey conducted by the Hayride, we found that 2015 spring graduation and commencement speakers are more likely to be liberal than conservative, which is in-line with the national average.

The study identified 13 commencement speakers from 10 of the state’s 18 universities, including those from Loyola University, Tulane University and Louisiana State University (LSU).

Of the 13 commencement speakers identified, eight are either “liberal” or “leaned-left.” Here is the list of those speakers:

• Dr. Janet Guyden,Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs – Grambling State University – Leans-left
• Dr. John Elstrott, Chairman of the Board for Whole Foods – Louisiana State University – Leans-left
• Maya Rudolph, Actress – Tulane University – Liberal
• State Senator Sharon Broome, Democrat representing Baton Rouge – Southern University – Liberal
• Mary Landrieu, former Senator from Louisiana – Xavier University – Liberal
• Eric Holder, former Attorney General of the United States – Xavier University – Liberal
• Magic Johnson, former NBA player – Xavier University – Liberal
• Vartan Gregorian, President of Carnegie Corporation of New York – Xavier University – Liberal

Of the 13 commencement speakers, only two are “conservatives” or identify as “Republican.” Here is that list:

• Bob Woodward, American Investigative Journalist – Loyola University – Conservative
• Dr. Mike Strain, Commissioner of the Louisiana Dept. of Agriculture – University of Louisiana at Monroe – Republican

Another two of the 13 commencement speakers have not made their political-leanings obvious or are unaffiliated, they include:

• Gary Fields, Wall Street Journal Reporter – Northwestern State University – Unaffiliated  
• Dr. Kamal Jabbour, Senior Scientist for Information Assurance, Information Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in New York – Louisiana Tech University – Not specified

Only one of the 13 commencement speakers has identified as an “Independent.”

• Denzel Washington, Actor – Dillard University – Independent

Aside from Xavier University having four liberal keynote speakers, Landrieu, Holder, Johnson and Gregorian are all also receiving awards from the university for their work.