(Citizens for a New Louisiana) — Governor Jeff Landry’s address to the Louisiana Republican Party on Saturday, November 1, was a call to maturity. Standing before a packed LAGOP crowd in Alexandria, he waved his prepared notes and joked that he might not even need them. “There’s so much to talk about,” he said. “So many things I want to tell you.”

Between the laughter and his playful jabs at Will — “Write that down!” — Landry’s message landed squarely: the season of fighting is over. Louisiana conservatives have won more than elections; they’ve won the responsibility of governing.

A Movement Growing Up

For decades, Louisiana conservatives defined themselves by what they opposed. That fight was necessary. It built a movement strong enough to end an era of liberal rule in Baton Rouge. But as Jeff Landry pointed out, “We’ve been so used to fighting without gaining ground that we have to learn what it looks like when we are taking ground — and how to hold it.”

That same shift is happening within Louisiana’s conservative grassroots. At New Louisiana, we’ve also had to retool and reset. The work that once centered on calling out bad behavior has become about encouraging good behavior — reinforcing conservative leadership, integrity, and cooperation.

Others, by contrast, are still playing the same tune — still swinging the same hammers at the same targets. Old habits are difficult to discard, even when something new and amazing comes along. But the ground has shifted. Louisiana’s political axis has moved beneath them, and we’re already operating in a completely different landscape.

“Write That Down”: Louisiana’s Record Book

Throughout the speech, Landry kept coming back to one phrase: “Will, write that down.” He wasn’t just teasing — he was challenging all of us to start documenting (and sharing) Louisiana’s transformation.

He listed achievement after achievement, each one a reminder of how far Louisiana has come under unified conservative leadership:

• Crime: “We took the handcuffs off police and put them on bad people.” Violent crime is down statewide, with New Orleans reporting a fifty-year low in murders.
• Education: Louisiana’s fourth graders now rank first in the nation in reading and second in math.
• Taxes: The largest tax cut in state history. “Mississippi says they’ll get to three percent by 2030,” Landry said. “We’re at three percent today.”
• Jobs and Investment: 114,000 new job opportunities and $70 billion in private investment — the largest in Louisiana history.
• Insurance Reform: Twenty companies have filed for rate decreases, including Farm Bureau’s 11% reduction — something the state hasn’t seen in three decades.
• Infrastructure: Record numbers of bridges and roads under construction — and yes, the inspection sticker is finally going away.

“We’ve done so much, so fast,” Landry said, “that it’s hard to remember what it used to be like.”

From Holding the Line to Building the Future

The governor’s speech underscored what many conservatives have quietly realized: Louisiana is no longer the underdog. The Republican Party is governing — and that changes everything.

At New Louisiana, our focus has evolved with it. The hard truth of victory is that it demands discipline, not defiance. We’ve traded the daily skirmishes of the opposition era for the longer work of construction. That means supporting policies that work, encouraging lawmakers who lead well, and celebrating progress when it’s earned.

Old habits linger. Some voices remain locked in yesterday’s cadence — still swinging at allies, still suspicious of success. But for those willing to see it, Louisiana’s conservative movement has entered a new phase: from reactive to constructive.

Jeff Landry’s Closing Challenge

Landry ended with the optimism of a man who believes Louisiana has turned a corner. “For the first time in 30 years,” he said, “more people moved into Louisiana than out. This isn’t the end — it’s finally the beginning. We’re no longer defined by what we were, but by what we are becoming: a state where families thrive, businesses grow, and children learn.”

And then came his final challenge to every Republican in that room: “It’s up to you to tell the world the greatest story yet to be told about Louisiana.”

The Next Chapter

That’s the same challenge we’ve taken to heart since 2023. The battle for Louisiana’s future isn’t about outrage anymore; it’s about ownership. The mission now is to hold the ground we’ve gained — to build wisely, speak truthfully, and celebrate progress without losing our principles.

The fight made us stronger. The building will make us better. Now, let’s get to work.