Liz Murrill, a senior lawyer for Attorney General Jeff Landry, is running to replace her boss, who is a candidate to be governor.
Murrill, 59, has served as the office’s Solicitor General, which calls for her to represent the attorney general before the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal and state courts.
Before that, Murrill served in senior legal posts for then-Gov. Bobby Jindal, including as his executive counsel.
“I have both legal experience and life experience,” Murrill said, noting that she is the mother of four boys. “I’ve been a den mother, a Cub Scout leader, a volunteer in schools and at church, and I’ve handled large transactions and lawsuits.”
She is running with Landry’s support.
Murrill, however, operates several decibels below Landry’s bombastic style.
“I’m somebody who likes to dive deep and evaluate the issues,” Murrill said. “There’s a risk sometimes in thinking you’re a hammer and everything is a nail.”
Murrill joins a field that includes two Republicans – state Rep. John Stefanski of Crowley and Marty Maley, an attorney and former prosecutor in West Baton Rouge Parish – and John Belton, the district attorney in Lincoln and Union parishes who is a political independent.
Like the other candidates, Murrill said the biggest issue is tackling Louisiana’s crime problem.
The attorney general’s crime-fighting skills are limited, however. The attorney general most often serves as Louisiana’s top attorney, representing the state in a variety of legal disputes.
Landry, who was first elected in 2015, has sought political fights favored by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
“Federal overreach is also a priority for me,” Murrill said, citing how Landry joined other attorneys general in winning a court order that blocked the Biden administration’s ban on offshore leasing of oil and gas in federal waters.
Murrill had $304,000 on hand when she was last required to file a campaign finance report, nearly a year ago, versus $228,000 for Stefanski, $87,000 for Belton and $1,000 for Maley.
The campaign finance reports that will show fundraising in 2022 are due next month.