Liz Murrill, a Republican, won the race to become Louisiana’s attorney general on Saturday. She is now the first woman to hold this office in Louisiana and gives Republicans control of state government.

Murrill secured her victory on the night of the election. She is a top deputy for Jeff Landry who is currently Attorney General and Governor-elect. She defeated Lindsey Cheek (Democrat, trial lawyer), a political novice who ran with a platform that included cracking down pollution, protecting consumers, and expanding abortion accessibility.

According to the Secretary’s Office, by 10 p.m. she had received over 440,000 votes, compared to Cheek’s 220,000.

The GOP has secured the monopoly of Louisiana’s statewide offices after winning the secretary of state and the treasurer races. This is the first time the GOP has held this position since 2015. Murrill joins a group of newly-elected Republicans who plan to form an united front to move Louisiana’s policies towards the political right following their January inauguration.

Murrill said to a crowd gathered in a Baton Rouge, Louisiana hotel for her Election Night Party: “I am the first woman ever to serve as Louisiana’s attorney general.”

The crowd, which included Murrill’s friends and family as well as Republican legislators and political operatives, erupted in cheers.

Murrill went on to say, “The people of Louisiana and the people that I just thanked as well as many others too numerous to mention have brought us to this point.” God has a plan that is unique to each of us. He brings people into our life at the right moment and helps us achieve our purpose. “I think this is mine.”

The race for attorney general made history even before the results were announced. Either Murrill, or Cheek, would have been first women to hold the position.

Murrill’s campaign was a success from the beginning. She raised a lot of money and secured the support of the Republican Attorneys General Association who spent at least $1.8million on her behalf. Some political analysts compared her campaign to Landry’s gubernatorial bid because the two worked together, and they shared staff and donors. Murrill called the description sexist.

Murrill’s years of experience in the Attorney General’s Office have allowed her to speak authoritatively on the campaign trail regarding the inner workings of the agency.

Murrill, a veteran litigator as well as a conservative, has developed arguments for some of Landry’s most high-profile legal battles. These include lawsuits regarding abortions, COVID-19 vaccinations and flood insurance rate.

She is a member the Federalist Society, an organization that supports conservative values, and in particular, the effort to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion decision. She promises to fight federal overreach, defend Louisiana’s strict ban on abortion and crackdown on crime through the Attorney General’s Criminal Bureau.

Her campaign was in stark contrast to Cheek’s. New Orleans’ trial lawyer had a progressive platform. Cheek did no return a Saturday evening message.

Murrill received the endorsements of Louisiana Republican Party, Republican Attorney’s General Association (RAGA), former President Donald Trump and both Louisiana GOP U.S. Senators, as well as a number of local Republican organizations.

The GOP also had a chance to regain its supermajority in the Louisiana House of Representatives and Senate.

The Secretary of State’s Office predicted that the turnout for the runoff would be below 20%. This is partly because Landry’s surprise victory in the October primary had already determined the outcome of the race to become governor. John Couvillon – a Baton Rouge based pollster that works mostly with Republican clients – projected a slightly more favorable turnout, of 25 percent.

John Bel Edwards leaving office, Landry will be able to pass Republican priorities more easily. Landry, the successor to John Bel Edwards, will be able to more easily pass Republican legislation.

Murrill was congratulated by the newly-elected governor on X Saturday, the platform formerly called Twitter. Murrill thanked her for his support on the stage at her election celebration.

Jeff has given me the most opportunities in my career than anyone else. She said, “He trusted me to do things that would be risky for a political figure like argue cases that we may not win.”