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Democratic Presidential Candidate of the Week, #34: Mitch Landrieu

The beat goes on. Here are the half-dozen potential Democratic presidential candidates we've profiled so far:

And now, Mitch Landrieu, this is your life.

Full Name: Mitchell Joseph Landrieu
Age on January 20, 2029: 68
Background: Landrieu has deep roots in his hometown of New Orleans, as he was born there, and so too were his parents and grandparents. Sometimes, white folks whose families have been in the South since the mid-to-late 19th century are the descendants of literal carpetbaggers, but that is not the case here. Several of Landrieu's great-great grandparents came to Louisiana from Sicily, while another, whose name is not known, for obvious reasons, was enslaved.

"Louisiana born and bred, mostly Sicilian ancestors" is another way of saying "Catholic," and Landrieu certainly is. Indeed, he can thank the Church for his entire education, as he went to several Catholic elementary and middle schools, then Jesuit High School in New Orleans, then The Catholic University for his B.A. in political science and theater, and then Loyola University of New Orleans for his J.D. That's something like 19 years at Catholic educational institutions. Can you imagine how much guilt Landrieu felt by the time he was done with school?

Initially, Landrieu planned to become a Broadway actor (hence the theater degree). However, his father saw one of his auditions and said: "Boy, I love you but you need something to fall back on." And that's what led to law school. Once he had his J.D. in hand, Landrieu spent his twenties and thirties in the practice of law. Well, sort of. He quickly came to recognize that he had a talent for mediation, and so became an in-demand, and well-paid, arbitrator, leading the firm International Mediation and Arbitration, which he founded. One can imagine Landrieu having more luck with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy than... some people, let's say.
Political Experience: Massachusetts has the Kennedys, California has the Browns, Wisconsin has the La Follettes, Pennsylvania has the Muhlenbergs, and Louisiana has the Landrieus. Given that he was seemingly born to be a politician, as the son of New Orleans mayor/HUD secretary Moon Landrieu, and the brother of U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, it's not surprising that he entered the arena at a young age. Keep in mind that "member of the legislature" is a VERY part-time job in most of the South. Landrieu was first elected to the Louisiana house at the age of 28, spending 16 years there, while in the midst of his work as a mediator. He earned a reputation as an outspoken lefty populist, and often did battle with the famously corrupt governor Edwin Edwards, despite their being members of the same political party.

Landrieu finally became a full-time politician in 2004, when he was elected lieutenant governor of Louisiana. Louisiana is one of those states that elects governors and lieutenant governors separately, and so Landrieu spent the first half of his 8 years in the number two slot serving alongside Democrat Kathleen Blanco, and the second half serving alongside Republican Bobby Jindal. The two men did not get along, to say the least, and because Mary Landrieu was already in the U.S. Senate by then, the Landrieu siblings would often tag-team the Governor with their criticism.

It is not especially common to move from statewide office to a mayoralty; usually the movement is in the opposite direction. That said, the dynastic Jerry Brown did it. And so did Landrieu, taking over as mayor of New Orleans in 2010. The city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina at that time, and by all accounts, he did his job well, even being voted the best mayor in America in a survey of... well, America's mayors. He also tore down four Lost Cause-y statues, honoring Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, P.G.T. Beauregard and the Battle of Liberty Place, which was an 1874 white supremacist rebellion against Reconstruction. Many sources say that one of the statues was of Stonewall Jackson, but those folks are confusing New Orleans with Richmond, VA. For his efforts to get rid of the statues, despite much blowback from both sides of the aisle, Landrieu received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Not long thereafter, he wrote a bestselling book about the matter, entitled In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History.

Landrieu has toyed with runs for other political offices, but since leaving the mayoralty of New Orleans, he's held no elective posts. He did serve as a key advisor to Joe Biden, working in particular on infrastructure, and then helping lead Biden's ultimately abortive 2024 presidential campaign.
Signature Issue(s): Equality. That's very broad, we know, but Landrieu's career has been focused, in roughly equal measure, on combating class disparity and racial disparity.
What Would His Pitch Be?: "I can rebuild the Obama-Biden coalition."
Instructive Quote: "The Confederacy was on the wrong side of history and humanity. It sought to tear apart our nation and subjugate our fellow Americans to slavery. This is the history we should never forget and one that we should never again put on a pedestal to be revered."
Completely Trivial Fact: If anyone ever does a movie about Landrieu's life, he wants to be played by... Denzel Washington.
Recent News: Landrieu is currently on a 21-city "listening tour," with an eye toward understanding the concerns of working-class Americans. This, of course, is exactly what politicians do when they are thinking about a presidential bid.
Strengths for the Democratic Primaries: (1) He is a white guy who is popular with Black voters (like Joe Biden); (2) It's not just an act, he really does connect with working-class voters; (3) He's a Southerner, and Southern states dominate Super Tuesday.
Weaknesses for the Democratic Primaries: (1) He is part of a generation of politicians whose time appears to be past, and in a party where voters appear to want younger and more dynamic candidates; (2) He may be too close to Joe Biden, particularly if this "Biden health cover-up" business (see above) has legs; (3) Outside of Louisiana, Landrieu is virtually unknown to Democrats under the age of 60.
Polls: Anyone polling the presidential race is not asking about Mitch Landrieu. And he didn't even make the cut for YouGov's ongoing tracker of "America's 400 Most Popular Politicians." That's not good, since many of the people who DID make the cut are either long retired from politics or are dead (e.g., Gray Davis, Michael Dukakis, Donald Rumsfeld, Anthony Weiner, Sam Brownback, Herman Cain, etc.).
How Does the Readership Feel?: We asked readers for their thoughts on Landrieu running for president; here are some of those responses:
- K.F. in Madrid, Spain: While Mitch Landrieu would indeed be among the "safe white guys" in a Democratic primary field, he brings far more to the table than many may realize.
  
  First, he is not just a white male, but a white Southerner. As mayor of New Orleans, he courageously countenanced the intersectional issues of race and the vestiges that remained from the Civil War, eventually removing several statues of Robert E. Lee and other Confederate symbols. I highly recommend his book on this topic, "In The Shadow of Statues". After he removed the statues, he delivered a passionate speech outlining the reasons for his actions by including a lot of historical and cultural context. He helps people see things through a different lens by walking in their shoes and he shows how no matter where we come from, we all have some shared hopes, dreams, fears, and struggles.
  
  Landrieu is a gifted speaker, very smart, not too old, and he does have executive experience, as mayor, lieutenant governor, and as the infrastructure czar under Joe Biden. That already makes him more qualified than most of this current administration combined.
  
  Downsides include low name recognition, his association with the Biden administration (though in 2028 people may be nostalgic for those more normal times again), and he may be perceived as too moderate for some and too "woke" for others. But a moderate white Southern Democrat has been a winning formula before, (see Clinton, Bill, and Carter, Jimmy), so why not? Pair him with a Midwesterner like Sen. Amy Klobuchar (DFL-MN) or Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) and that could be a strong ticket.
  
  Fun fact: Landrieu has a background in musical theater.
- A.G. in Scranton, PA: Well, he's a white male, and it would seem most American voters like those.
  
  His head kinda looks like an egg. If it's not an expensive one, most American voters like those.
  
  He's apparently a straight man. That's something most American voters seem to like, oddly enough, even most "straight" male voters. If I had to listen to, look at, and follow someone, I'd probably want that to be a woman, but I guess straight guys can like looking at, listening to, and following powerful guys for 4-8 years, right?
  
  He's from Louisiana. Most American voters believe Louisiana is a bunch of over-privileged, bratty college-aged white girls who wish Girls Gone Wild was still filming so they could piss off their fathers by flashing the camera and making out with their roommates in the 10% of New Orleans that white people cared enough about to fix, a place filled with racist cops, administered by the most corrupt government on the planet.
  
  Most American voters love college-aged girls who flash the camera, don't give a crap if innocent people are executed, and are happy they don't have to live in that French sewer we actually bought... without getting a goddamned receipt so we could goddamn well return it.
  
  Me? Yes, college-aged girls who flash the camera are fine, as are those who make out with their roommates, and I would definitely support them for president if it would piss off their fathers.
  
  That was the question, right?
  
  Seriously, Mitch Landwho?
- J.C. in Honolulu, HI: When I think of Mitch Landrieu I think of Vice President Al Gore. Gore could not even win his home state of Tennessee in 2000. Never a good sign if you cannot win your home state. Landrieu will not win Louisiana. His sister even lost re-election to the U.S. Senate.
  
  Maybe a vice-presidential contender in 2028 but not president.
- J.B. in Bend, OR: Mitch and I were law clerks at the Louisiana Supreme Court in 1985. I can tell you from direct experience that he has a sincere and engaging personality. He is also very politically astute, coming from a multi-generational political family. He was twice elected mayor of New Orleans with majorities of Black and white voters and would make a formidable presidential candidate. I think his biggest problem is that he is from Louisiana, which is not exactly "the mother of Presidents" territory.
  
  Fun fact: the Star Trek Original Series episode "The Return of the Archons" was almost certainly inspired by New Orleans Mardi Gras and the mayoral administration of his father, Moon Landrieu.
- A.B. in Davidson, NC: Mitch had some role in the removal of Confederate statues, but isn't that well known. He doesn't seem like a fighter either, from first glance. More the pragmatic liberal with some administrative experience. Going from mayor to president is a hell of a leap even if you're politically gifted, and he has a larger problem if he tries to run.
  
  He occupies a lot of the same lane that Pete Buttigieg would run in and Pete is a lot more well known.
- A.J. in Moorhead, MN: I had to Google this guy, which is the first one of the six so far, which means my entire comment (and the biggest strike against) can be summarized as: "who?"
- F.B. in Des Moines, IA: We don't need any more people named "Mitch" in Washington anytime soon.
The Bottom Line: We just can't see it happening. He's a candidate for a Cabinet post in the next Democratic administration, maybe, but not for president.

Next week, it's #33, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA). If readers have comments about Ossoff running for president in 2028, please send them to comments@electoral-vote.com.

This item appeared on www.electoral-vote.com. Read it Monday through Friday for political and election news, Saturday for answers to reader's questions, and Sunday for letters from readers.

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