What's Party Got To Do With It?

St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis changed his party, but does it matter?

Last week, St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis and the Louisiana Republican Party announced that McInnis, a long-time registered independent, had changed his party registration to Republican.

While many Republicans celebrated this move, it left us wondering does it really even matter? While McInnis will likely find support from partisans who've opposed him in the past, he has given no indication of renouncing the "big bank accounts" of his most fervent supporters- the trial lawyers who helped to elect him and Governor John Bel Edwards.

As we covered in December, McInnis has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of trial lawyer money, with over $20,000 coming from the Talbot Carmouche & Marcello law firm, one of the main firms behind Governor Edwards assault on Louisiana's oil and gas industry. In total, McInnis has received over $30,000 from trial lawyers, most of from firms and attorneys that McInnis unilaterally entered into a contract with to represent St. Bernard Parish within days of taking office.

McInnis has exposed himself as a hypocrite on this issue, when he accused legislators of siding with "the big bank accounts that got you elected", when he himself almost immediately signed a lucrative contract with the biggest funders of his campaign.

With news of McInnis' party switch, we are left wondering: If he doesn't change his position on coastal lawsuits, and continues to side with Governor Edwards and his top funders, does it really matter?

Sign up here to receive future stories direct to your inbox. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for updates!