Tyler Bridges
Staff writer
Landry has already sought retribution against Republicans who opposed him on that measure. As The Advocate | The Times-Picayune reported in July, 16 of the 17 line-item vetoes issued by Landry killed spending projects sponsored by Republicans who had voted against him on the bill, including Illg. With nearly half of Republican House members voting against the bill at one point, the defection represented their biggest opposition to the governor.
House members and political analysts said they believe Landry also favors Echols because he is more likely to focus on shoring up the governor’s support among Republicans during the 2026 legislative session.
The 73 House Republicans have begun sending in their secret ballots to pick the next caucus chair, with the counting scheduled to take place in the State Capitol on Dec. 11.
Landry’s intervention is the latest in his efforts to place people he wants in positions of power. He maneuvered to get his choices selected as the president of LSU and speaker of the House, and he publicly called to of LSU.
“That’s Jeff Landry,” said veteran pollster and political consultant Bernie Pinsonat. “That’s his way of governing, taking control as much as he can.”
Why it matters
Electing Echols, Pinsonat said, “would amount to a loss of independence” for the Legislature.
Pinsonat and others noted that Republican lawmakers forcefully advocated for the Legislature to be independent of the governor during the eight years when John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, held the office. Republicans showed their independence by swatting aside the Democrat who Edwards wanted to be named speaker after he became governor in January 2016. Republicans, who held a majority, chose one of their own instead.
Four years later, when Edwards began his second term, then-state Rep. Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, put together a coalition of Republicans and Democrats to be elected speaker over a Republican-only supported representative, with Edwards blessing the plan only at the end.
After Landry was elected governor in October 2023, House Republicans reverted to a decades-long tradition by allowing Landry to choose the next speaker. He selected Rep. Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice.
House Republicans praise DeVillier for his open style in overseeing the House and his willingness to work with everyone.
DeVillier has also won high marks for keeping the Republican delegation united behind Landry’s conservative agenda. This has led to a reduction in income tax rates, an expansion of the school voucher program, the passage of anti-transgender legislation and the enactment of tough-on-crime measures.
DeVillier sidestepped a question in a text about whether he has joined with the governor in supporting Echols and whether the governor’s involvement in the election represents a step back from legislative independence.
DeVillier instead listed a series of legislative accomplishments and said he looks forward to working with the next chair.
Landry didn’t respond to a question on why he is supporting Echols, instead sending a text of his accomplishments that matched DeVillier’s text, word for word.
Governors have frequently sought to get their preferred candidate named speaker or Senate president, but none have pushed for the selection of a caucus chair.
Landry’s push divides caucus
Fifteen House Republicans, who did not want to be named to avoid antagonizing Landry or any colleagues, said the governor and legislative aides have told them in personal meetings or phone calls that he supports Echols.
Nearly all of the House Republicans said Landry’s push is dividing the caucus. Some who support Echols feared it could end up creating a backlash that would hurt his candidacy.
“It’s causing a lot of grief and a lot of rift,” said one Illg supporter.
Several Republican House members said they understand why Landry would want a delegation chair who is in lockstep with him.
Both Illg and Echols have strongly backed the governor’s legislation, with Illg showing a bit more willingness to buck Landry. Republican colleagues say Illg is known as a big teddy bear – his nickname is “Big” because of his size – who gets along with everyone, while Echols has a reputation for being more overtly strategic and political.
How Illg crossed Landry
Landry saw his biggest defection among Republicans when he pushed for the measure during the 2025 legislative session that will give Temple greater authority to reject insurance rate increases. And that’s when Illg got crossways with the governor.
At its first hearing, Landry took the unusual step of in favor of the measure, House Bill 576, before the House Insurance Committee.
The day before, committee Chair Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock, tried to get all of the Republicans to agree to support HB576, to avoid embarrassing or antagonizing Landry. But Illg refused to go along, believing that the bill would harm the insurance industry.
On the day of the hearing, Illg made the motion to object to HB576, which forced a recorded vote. Three other Republicans joined Illg in opposition.
Landry then faced so much opposition from Republicans that he had to amend his plan onto a different bill that passed the House thanks to Democratic support.
The caucus chair organizes Republican strategy meetings during the legislative session. The governor and his aides frequently attend to push his priorities.
Changing partisan politics
Having a caucus chair is a not new, but it’s only been in the past 15-20 years that state legislators have mimicked Washington by dividing themselves into Republican and Democratic camps. Previously, the fault line for Democrats and Republicans was whether they lined up with the governor, regardless of party.
During Gov. Bobby Jindal’s second term and Edwards’ first term, then-state Rep. Lance Harris of Alexandria was the House GOP chair, using both humor and muscle to corral Republicans into supporting a common position.
Then-state Rep. Blake Miguez of New Iberia, now a state senator running to be U.S. senator, was the caucus chair during Edwards’ second term. Miguez and Schexnayder were at odds because Miguez hadn’t supported Schexnayder to be speaker. As a result, Schexnayder for a year refused to give Miguez the check-writing authority that Harris had for the caucus and locked Miguez out of an office that Harris had used.
The Republican caucus chair became vacant on Nov. 13 when Rep. Mark Wright of Covington stepped down from the position to devote more time for his campaign to be elected to the Public Service Commission next year.
Wright and Illg had vied to be the caucus chair when the current Legislature was seated in January 2024, with Illg agreeing to step aside with the understanding that he would succeed Wright in two years.
“It was sort of an agreement,” Wright said, adding, “he’d still have to get his votes.”
Echols decided to seek the job, too. He emailed Republican House members on Oct. 28, saying he wanted strengthen efforts to raise money for their messaging by “clearly articulating our values and legislative accomplishments.”
Illg expressed disappointment that Echols didn’t give him a heads-up of his plans even though they had been together the night before at the Pentagon Barracks, across the street from the Capitol, watching a World Series game with other legislators.
Echols followed up with another email to House Republicans on Nov. 25 that included a nearly two-minute long video.
Illg also emailed Republican House members on Nov. 25, saying he wanted “to promote our strong Republican values with better communication.”
Illg defeated Echols in January 2024 to become the caucus vice chair. But the two men describe themselves as friends during their six years together in the Legislature, sharing meals and hunting deer together at Echols’ camp.
Echols said he decided to run for caucus chair on his own and informed Landry only afterward.
“I did not ask the governor or his staff to make calls on my behalf,” he said.
Illg said he strongly supports Landry’s agenda, not voting with him on only a couple of high-profile issues.
Republican members, he said, “want unity, better communication and independence. Let’s be together and work with the governor.”
Other legislators say the election creates a quandary.
“I love both of those guys,” said Rep. Daryl Deshotel, R-Hessmer. “I hate that it’s getting to this point.”