Bo Staples is a veteran political player despite his relatively young age, having served both as political director and, for a short time, executive director of the Louisiana GOP before a stint at chief of staff for Public Service Commissioner Craig Greene, prior to his current job in charge of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI)’s four political action committees (NorthPAC, SouthPAC, EastPAC and WestPAC).

And when the Red Wave descended on the legislative elections Saturday night, there were few people in Louisiana deserving of more credit for it than Bo Staples.

LABI spent the first 10 months of this year engaged in rather furious activity with candidate recruitment, vetting, polling, fundraising and messaging, and when it was all done Staples and the four PAC’s had won practically every race they were involved in with just a few left for runoffs on Nov. 16.

How successful was LABI? Here are the results the four PAC’s posted in Saturday’s elections (not counting double endorsements or unopposed races)…

Judicial Races (1 runoff)

• Will Crain (R), Supreme Court District 1: 39 percent, runoff with Hans Liljeberg

BESE Races (six outright wins, one runoff)

• Jim Garvey (R), BESE District 1: won outright with 60 percent
• Kira Orange Jones (D), BESE District 2: won outright with 61 percent
• Sandy Holloway (R), BESE District 3: won outright with 77 percent
• Ashley Ellis (R), BESE District 5: won outright with 62 percent
• Ronnie Morris (R), BESE District 6: 49 percent, runoff with Gregory Spiers
• Holly Boffy (R), BESE District 7: won outright with 62 percent
• Preston Castille (D), BESE District 8: won outright with 52 percent

Senate Races (11 outright wins, two runoffs, three losses)

• Bodi White (R), SD-6: won outright with 80 percent
• Cameron Henry (R), SD-9: won outright with 78 percent
• Kirk Talbot (R), SD-10: won outright with 55 percent
• Beth Mizell (R), SD-12: won outright with 69 percent
• Edith Carlin (R), SD-13: 38 percent, lost to J. Rogers Pope
• Steve Carter (R), SD-16: 30 percent, lost to Beverly Brooks Thompson and Franklin Foil
• Mike Fesi (R), SD-20: won outright with 54 percent
• Bob Hensgens (R), SD-26: won outright with 77 percent
• Heather Cloud (R), SD-28: won outright with 63 percent
• Randy Wiggins (R), SD-29: lost 61-39 to Jay Luneau
• Mike Reese (R), SD-30, won outright with 51 percent
• Glen Womack (R), SD-32: won outright with just over 50 percent
• Jim Fannin (R), SD-35: 39 percent, runoff with Jay Morris
• Robert Mills (R), SD-36: 48 percent, runoff with Ryan Gatti
• Barrow Peacock (R), SD-37: won outright with 71 percent
• Barry Milligan (R), SD-38: won outright with 51 percent

House Races (26 outright wins, nine runoffs, five losses)

• Danny McCormick (R), HD-1: won outright with 51 percent
• Alan Seabaugh (R), HD-5: won outright with 66 percent
• Wayne McMahen (R), HD-10: won outright with 75 percent
• Foy Gadberry (R), HD-15: 38 percent, runoff with Justin Tidwell
• Daryll Berry (D), HD-16: 23 percent, runoff  with Frederick Jones
• Jeremy Lacombe (D), HD-18: won outright with 63 percent
• Neil Riser (R), HD-20: 47 percent, runoff with Kevin Bates
• Gabe Firment (R), HD-22: won outright with 65 percent
• Rodney Schamerhorn (R), HD-24: won outright with 53 percent
• Daryl Deshotel (R), HD-28: won outright with 61 percent
• Chuck Owen (R), HD-30: 38 percent, runoff with Chuck Dowden
• Dewith Carrier (R), HD-32: won outright with 64 percent
• Kevin Guidry (D), HD-34: 41 percent, runoff with Wilford Carter
• Stephen Dwight (R), HD-35: won outright with 73 percent
• Mike Eason (R), HD-36: lost 62-38 to Philip Tarver
• Rhonda Butler (R), HD-38: won outright with 60 percent
• Julie Emerson (R), HD-39: won outright with 70 percent
• Stuart Bishop (R), HD-43: won outright with 80 percent
• Jean-Paul Coussan (R), HD-45: won outright with 73 percent
• Mike Huval (R), HD-46: 44 percent, runoff with Keith Baudin
• Beryl Amedee (R), HD-51: won outright with 64 percent
• Reggie Bagala (R), HD-54: won outright with 58 percent
• Ken Brass (D), HD-58: won outright with 76 percent
• Rick Edmonds (R), HD-66: won outright with 70 percent
• Scott McKnight (R), HD-68: 33 percent, runoff with Taryn Branson
• Michael DiResto (R), HD-70: 21 percent, lost to Belinda Davis and Barbara Freiberg
• Jonathan Davis (R), HD-71: 15 percent, lost to Buddy Mincey and Lori Callas
• William Wheat (R), HD-73: won outright with 77 percent
• Larry Frieman (R), HD-74: won outright with 82 percent
• Philipp Bedwell (R), HD-75: lost 64-36 to Malinda White
• Bob Owen (R), HD-76: won outright with 52 percent
• Mark Wright (R), HD-77: won outright with 77 percent
• John Illg (R), HD-78: won outright with 59 percent
• Polly Thomas (R), HD-80: won outright with 70 percent
• Charles Henry (R), HD-82: won outright with 71 percent
• Tim Kerner (R), HD-84: won outright with 51 percent
• Mary Dubuisson (R), HD-90: won outright with 60 percent
• Carling Dinkler (D), HD-91: 27 percent, lost to Mandie Landry and Robert McKnight
• Stephanie Hilferty (R), HD-94: 41 percent, runoff with Tammy Savoie
• Ethan Ashley (D), HD-97: 28 percent, lost to Eugene Green and Matthew Willard
• Chris Leopold (R), HD-105: 46 percent, runoff with Mack Cormier

If you’re counting, that’s 62 races the four LABI PAC’s played in over the final two months of the primary cycle, and they’ve already won in 43 of them against only six losses, with 13 yet to be decided.

That’s a strikingly good record.

And it matters not just in the down-ballot races going forward, because LABI gave a full-throated endorsement to Eddie Rispone this week…

So look out. Now that the juggernaut which swept through the legislative races is beginning to turn its attention to the top of the ballot, the red wave is heading for the governor’s mansion, with LABI riding near the top.