1.13.20 – KALB – BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)
The Louisiana House has elected Republican Clay Schexnayder to be its new House speaker. Monday’s vote spurned the lawmaker backed by Attorney General Jeff Landry and U.S. Sen. John Kennedy job in an acrimonious public feud.
The House voted 60-45 for Schexnayder. Democrats backed the Ascension Parish car repair business owner to push him to victory in the majority-GOP chamber. Schexnayder defeated Republican Sherman Mack, a lawyer from Livingston Parish who had more GOP support.
After being sworn in Monday, state senators quickly chose Republican Page Cortez to be their next president. That vote was unanimous after being worked out behind-the-scenes.
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