New Orleans businessman and The Advocate owner John Georges continues to seriously mull a run for governor with just hours until qualifying ends.
Georges is out of the country, but has filled out the necessary paperwork to qualify and his attorney will file for him later today at the Secretary of State’s office should he decide to run, confirms pollster Verne Kennedy, who does polling for Georges. Earlier this week, Kennedy said Georges has no plans to enter the race.
“He initially said he is not running,” Kennedy tells Daily Report. “But he is reconsidering that now.”
It’s no secret Georges, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2007 and mayor of New Orleans in 2010, has been eyeing the race. Earlier this month, he stepped down as publisher of The Advocate, fueling speculation he would throw his hat in the ring at the last minute. When asked whether he would enter the race, he has been careful to say only that he “has no plans” to run, while refusing to outright deny he would run.
In recent days, friends and supporters from around the country have called and emailed, strongly encouraging him to run, according to sources, who say the odds are at least 50-50 Georges will qualify today.
Should he decide to run, it is unclear if he would run as a Democrat or an Independent. He ran as an Independent for governor in 2007 and as a Democrat in the 2010 mayoral race.
The four major gubernatorial candidates—Republicans Scott Angelle, Jay Dardenne and David Vitter, and Democrat John Bel Edwards—all qualified Tuesday morning. Three others candidates have also qualified for a gubernatorial run: Beryl Billiot, a no party candidate from Kentwood; Jeremy “JW” Odom, also no party and from Natchitoches; and S L Simpson, a Democrat from Shreveport.
The qualifying period ends at 4:30 p.m.
—Stephanie Riegel
