Louisiana lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2011
- Main article: State executive official elections, 2011
The Louisiana lieutenant gubernatorial election of 2011 was decided on October 22, 2011, in the primary election. Incumbent Republican Jay Dardenne captured more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary, winning re-election outright. The Louisiana general election was held on Saturday, November 19, 2011 but the office of lieutenant governor did not appear on the ballot.[1]
Louisiana elects the governor and the lieutenant governor on a shared ticket in the general election only; the two offices have separate primary campaigns and elections. The state's current lieutenant governor, Republican Jay Dardenne, was first elected in a special election in 2010 and defeated Plaquesmines Parish President Billy Nungesser in the primary.
Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Background
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Key dates
- Detailed dates and deadlines relevant to the election were listed at the page for the Louisiana Secretary of State and were subject to change as the state legislature has the power to amend the schedule.[2]
- Voters may check their registration status, register for the first time, or request an absentee ballot at the Louisiana Secretary of State's Voter Registration Portal.
- Administrative deadlines are at close of business (5:00) unless otherwise noted.
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| Sept. 8 | Declaration of candidacy |
| Sept. 21 | Voter registration for the primary election |
| Oct. 8 - 15 | Early voting period for the primary |
| Oct. 18 | Absentee ballot request for the primary |
| Oct. 19 | Voter registration for the general election |
| Oct. 21 | Absentee ballot receipt by registrar for the primary |
| Oct. 22 | Primary election |
| Nov. 5 - 12 | Early voting period for the general election |
| Nov. 15 | Absentee ballot request for the general election |
| Nov. 18 | Absentee ballot receipt by registrar |
| Nov. 19 | General election |
Polls
| Date of Poll | Pollster | Jay Dardenne (R) | Billy Nungesser (R) | Undecided | Number polled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 5-7 | Clarus Research Group | 40% | 27% | 33% | 602 |
October 22 primary election
Louisiana does not conduct true primary elections. Instead, the state employs a majority-vote system. If a candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for an office, they win outright. If, however, no candidate reaches that threshold, a second round of voting is held between the top two vote-getters. Any registered voter can participate in both the first-round and second-round elections. Louisiana's election system is sometimes classified as a top-two, jungle, or blanket primary system. Ballotpedia refers to the state's election system as the Louisiana majority-vote system.[3][4]
Beginning in 2026, Louisiana will use a semi-closed primary for congress, justice of the supreme court, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Public Service Commission. In these primaries, only unaffiliated voters and voters registered with a party may vote in that party's primary. For all other statewide offices—including state senator and representative—Louisiana will continue to use the majority-vote system.[3][4]
Results
| Lt. Governor of Louisiana, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Jay Dardenne Incumbent |
53.1% | 504,541 | |
| Republican | Billy Nungesser | 46.9% | 445,049 | |
| Total Votes | 949,590 | |||
Candidates
Democratic
No Democrats entered the race.
Republican
- Jay Dardenne, the current Lieutenant Governor
- Billy Nungesser, current Plaquemines Parish Government President
See also
- Gubernatorial elections, 2011
- Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2011
- Governor of Louisiana
- Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana
External links
Campaign sites
Republicans
Footnotes
- ↑ The Green Papers, "2010 Gubernatorial Primaries at a Glance"
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "2011 Louisiana Election Calendar," update June 19, 2008, accessed December 1, 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Louisiana State Legislature, "La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:410.3," accessed November 12, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Louisiana State Legislature, "La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 18:401," accessed November 12, 2025
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