Back in March, JMC Analytics pollster John Couvillon released a poll that showed Union Parish district attorney John Belton as the “frontrunner” in the Attorney General’s race, though none of the candidates – Belton, current Louisiana solicitor general Liz Murrill, state representative John Stefanski and Baton Rouge lawyer Marty Maley – cracked 20 percent and the majority of voters were undecided.

But yesterday, Belton demurred from the race. It sounds like somebody hooked him up with a better job. Belton’s statement…

For some time now, I have campaigned to be your next attorney general. I have enjoyed traveling our beautiful state sharing my personal story of faith in God, hard work and overcoming.

The response has been nothing short of amazing, and our campaign has been blessed to have the support of so many hard-working citizens, fellow public servants, business, community and religious leaders across Louisiana. And I am forever thankful for that support.

In fact, in the recent polls, I am the leading candidate for attorney general.

Leading in the polls has accelerated the number of fundraising events being planned in the next few weeks. However, though I am not at liberty to discuss, an opportunity has presented another possibility for me to be of service to my state. While I will continue to serve as the District Attorney of the Third Judicial District, I will suspend my campaign for attorney general.

I’m excited about what the future holds for me and my family.

May God’s grace, mercy and favor be with you, the state of Louisiana, and this great nation in which we live.

This makes the AG’s race an all-Republican affair at this point, though nobody really thinks it’ll stay that way. Strangely, though, Belton was running as an independent, not a Democrat, which would have made him the most prominent black non-Democrat politician in Louisiana other than perhaps Elbert Guillory. And yet folks thought Belton was a stand-in for a Democrat candidate. Without him they’ll have to find a real “D” to run.

He’s best known as the local DA in the Ronald Greene case, in which Louisiana State Police officers beat a black man to death on a roadside in Union Parish in May of 2019 and the case was covered up until after the statewide elections that fall. Belton didn’t prosecute the cops who killed Greene, saying he was waiting for the federal investigation.

That’s led to some speculation that he’s being taken care of by someone, the chances of his being elected Attorney General being less than robust regardless of the poll.

Of the three remaining candidates, the smart money seems to be with Murrill, whose resume is the strongest and whose alliance with current AG Jeff Landry, the frontrunner in the governor’s race, should be helpful to her.