Kyle Ardoin won’t seek re-election for Secretary of State

Louisiana’s top election official will give up his office at the end of his term in January. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin issued a statement Tuesday announcing he will not seek re-election this fall. The USA Today Network reports Ardoin is opting out of this fall’s election for health reasons.

Ardoin, 55, was appointed as secretary of state in 2018 to replace Tom Schedler, who resigned amid sexual harassment allegations. He had served as Schedler’s top assistant since 2010 and won a special election to complete the rest of his term. Ardoin was elected to a full term in 2019.

“I have decided not to seek re-election,” Ardoin said in a statement. “For the last five years, I have had the blessing of serving as Louisiana’s 44th Secretary of State. In that time, we have faced unprecedented challenges including major hurricanes, a global pandemic, and lies about our election processes and procedures. Through it all, I have been able to witness the unyielding dedication of election staff across the state who worked countless late nights and weekends, sometimes putting their own needs on hold, to deliver democracy to the people of Louisiana. I could not be prouder of their work, and being tasked with leading these individuals has been the honor of a lifetime.”

Although there have been no substantiated claims of widespread election fraud in Louisiana, Ardoin entertained such conspiracy theories as chairman of a state commission tasked with picking the state’s new voting machines.

Guest speakers during the hearings included Phil Waldron, who crossed the country pushing the false narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. Another election denier, My Pillow founder Mike Lindell, was also given carte blanche to testify before the voting systems commission.

The process to replace Louisiana’s voting machines was problematic under Ardoin’s watch as secretary of state. Allegations of improper bidding led him to end the solicitation in 2018, and he scrapped things again in 2021 when companies involved in the competition complained about the process.

Ardoin insisted national concerns with election security unnecessarily delayed the replacement of Louisiana’s voting machines.

In his statement Tuesday, Ardoin took a more pronounced stance on tamping down claims of election fraud.  

“I hope that Louisianans of all political persuasions will stand against the pervasive lies that have eroded trust in our elections by using conspiracies so far-fetched that they belong in a work of fiction,” he said. “The vast majority of Louisiana’s voters know that our elections are secure and accurate, and it is shameful and outright dangerous that a small minority of vocal individuals have chosen to denigrate the hard work of our election staff and spread unproven falsehoods.”

Announced candidates to replace Ardoin include Republican Brandon Trosclair of Gonzales, who has conveyed some of the same concerns as election deniers regarding Dominion Voting Systems. The company supplied the machines Louisiana currently uses and has participated in the most recent bids.

Public Service Commissioner Mike Francis, a Republican from Crowley, has declared his candidacy for secretary of state, and Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-French Settlement, is expected to join the race. 

Read Ardoin’s complete statement below:

“I have decided not to seek re-election.

“For the last five years, I have had the blessing of serving as Louisiana’s 44th Secretary of State. In that time, we have faced unprecedented challenges including major hurricanes, a global pandemic, and lies about our election processes and procedures. Through it all, I have been able to witness the unyielding dedication of election staff across the state who worked countless late nights and weekends, sometimes putting their own needs on hold, to deliver democracy to the people of Louisiana. I could not be prouder of their work, and being tasked with leading these individuals has been the honor of a lifetime.

“I trust that the next Secretary of State will be able to build off of the accomplishments we have achieved in the last five years, including widespread recognition from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, the Heritage Foundation, and the Electoral Integrity Project for our election integrity measures. 

“I hope that Louisianans of all political persuasions will stand against the pervasive lies that have eroded trust in our elections by using conspiracies so far-fetched that they belong in a work of fiction. The vast majority of Louisiana’s voters know that our elections are secure and accurate, and it is shameful and outright dangerous that a small minority of vocal individuals have chosen to denigrate the hard work of our election staff and spread unproven falsehoods.

“I am thankful for the tireless work of my staff over these last five years, and for the love and support of my family through the many challenges we have faced. I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Louisiana through the remainder of my term.”

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