Gov. Billy Nungesser says he's not running for governor

BATON ROUGE, La. - Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser is set to announce he is not running for governor and will instead run for re-election this year, a surprise decision that comes after months of hinting he would run for the state's top job. Nungesser said in a statement, which was set to be released Tuesday, he has "unfinished business" with the lieutenant governor's office, after storms and the pandemic hit tourism hard. "We have enjoyed record-breaking success in tourism, saved our state parks, saved our museums, and built a hospitality industry in Louisiana that delivered almost $2 billion in annual taxes for our state that our citizens didn't have to spend," according to the statement, a copy of which was obtained by the Advocate I The Times-Picayune. "But the worst pandemic in our lifetime and a series of devastating storms leaves me with unfinished business to bring tourism back to its peak performance, especially for the near 250,000 families who rely on this industry for their livelihoods. For that reason, and after much thought and prayer, I have decided to seek re-election to the Office of Lt. Governor" The Republican, who was elected in 2015 after serving as Plaquemines Parish president, was considered one of the most serious potential challengers to Attorney General Jeff Landry in the governor's race, especially after both U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy opted out. Read more on Nungesser's decision from our news partner The Advocate.