2011 Louisiana lieutenant gubernatorial election

See also: 2011 Louisiana elections

2011 Louisiana lieutenant gubernatorial election

October 22, 2011

Nominee Jay Dardenne Billy Nungesser Party Republican Republican Popular vote 504,228 444,750 Percentage 53.13% 46.87%

Parish results Dardenne:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Nungesser:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%

Lieutenant Governor before election Jay Dardenne Republican Elected Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne Republican

The 2011 Louisiana lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on October 22, 2011 to elect the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana. Incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne who was elected in a 2010 special election won his bid for a full term. Dardenne was challenged by fellow Republican Billy Nungesser, President of Plaquemines Parish.

Louisiana is the only state that has a jungle primary system where all candidates appear on the same ballot, regardless of party, and voters may vote for any candidate, regardless of their party affiliation. If no candidate had received an absolute majority of the vote during the primary election on October 22, 2011, a runoff election would have been held on November 19, 2011, between the top two candidates in the primary. (California and Washington have a similar "top two primary" system).

Candidates

Republican Party

• Billy Nungesser, President of Plaquemines Parish
• Jay Dardenne, incumbent Lieutenant Governor

Jungle Primary

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Billy Nungesser (R)	Jay Dardenne (R)	Undecided
Clarus Research Group	October 5–7, 2011	602	± 4%	27%	40%	33%

Results

Despite polling projecting a landslide win incumbent Lieutenant Governor Dardenne won by 6 points. Dardenne did well in the North while Nungesser did better in the south notably carrying Orleans parish, home of New Orleans. Dardenne became the first Republican lieutenant governor to be elected to a full term since Paul Hardy in 1987. Nungesser would later win the lieutenant gubernatorial election in 2015.

2011 Louisiana Lieutenant Governor election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Jay Dardenne (incumbent)	504,228	53.13
	Republican	Billy Nungesser Jr.	444,750	46.87
Turnout			948,978
	Republican hold

See also

• Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana
• 2011 Louisiana elections