Nancy Landry


Nancy Ruth Landry, also known as Nancy L. Matthews, is a family practice lawyer from Lafayette, Louisiana, who was from 2008 to 2019 a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 31. She won the seat in a special election in 2008 upon the resignation of Republican Donald Trahan. In the 2007 nonpartisan blanket primary, Landry had come within thirty-three votes of defeating Trajan.
She resigned the post seven months prior to the expiration of her third term to become the chief of staff in the office of Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin.

Personal

Because of her father's United States Navy career, Landry was born in Japan and currently resides in Lafayette. She is a mother of two.

Education

Nancy Landry received her education from the following institutions:
Nancy Landry has been a member of the following committees:
On May 19, 2015, Landry, a former Independent, was one of four Republicans on the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee — the others were Mike "Pete" Huval of Breaux Bridge, Gregory A. Miller of Norco, and Clay Schexnayder of Gonzales — who voted to table on a 10-2 vote the proposed Marriage and Conscience Act, authored by Republican Representative Mike Johnson of Bossier Parish and strongly supported by the conservative Louisiana Family Forum. Only fellow Republican Ray Garofalo of Chalmette stood with Johnson. Governor Bobby Jindal, who supported the legislation, then issued an executive order to implement the measure. Johnson said that he will in 2016, if he is reelected, re-introduce the measure because he prefers a statutory law to address the issue. Johnson explained that the measure is designed to block the state government from pulling licenses or tax benefits from a company because of the owner's counter view of same-sex marriage. Among Democrats who opposed the measure were committee chairman Neil Abramson and Joseph Bouie, Jr., both of New Orleans, Patrick O. Jefferson of Arcadia, and Alfred C. Williams of Baton Rouge.

Landry opposes corporal punishment in public schools

Considered a Moderate Republican, Landry in 2017 was the chairman of the House Education Committee. In that capacity she supported legislation by African-American State Representative Barbara Norton of Shreveport to ban corporal punishment in all Louisiana public schools, but the measure was defeated, 61-34. Norton claims that other effective measures of discipline can be formulated. Landry argues that only parents should be able to use physical restraint to discipline children. More than half of the Louisiana school districts, thirty-eight of sixty-nine, permit corporal punishment.

2015 reelection

Landry handily won reelection in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 24, 2015. She received 10,005 votes to Democrat Evan H. Wright's 1,890 ballots.

Electoral history

Louisiana State Representative, 31st Representative District, 2007
October 20, 2007
CandidateAffiliationSupportOutcome
Nancy LandryIndependent7,332 Defeated
Donald TrahanRepublican7,365 Elected

Special Election, Louisiana State Representative, 31st Representative District, 2008
November 4, 2008
CandidateAffiliationSupportOutcome
Nancy LandryRepublican11,528 Elected
Troy TheriotRepublican5,850 Defeated