Lake Charles attorney Hunter Lundy joins race for governor

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - Lake Charles’ own Hunter Lundy has decided to run for governor.

The well-known personal injury attorney has been exploring the idea for months now and formally announced his candidacy online Thursday morning.

Sixty-eight-year-old Lundy was born and raised in Lake Charles, where for more than 36 years he’s operated a small business - his law firm. Lundy says he has nothing in the politics game but a servants’ heart who wants to do what needs to be done.

“We’ve got problems, and so I mean I think I have the heart to dig in and certainly I have the tenacity to dig in and to make a difference. My call to help people has never ceased just because my passion has shifted from the courthouse to the capitol,” Lundy said.

It’s been many years since someone from Southwest Louisiana was governor. Lundy wants to change that.

“I don’t need a job and I don’t need a title. I don’t need a promotion. I tell people I’ve only got the Lord and the only fear I have is the fear of the Lord,” said Lundy.

He said he loves God and people, and he wants to live that out.

Lundy said he is concerned about many issues, particularly the division in the country, and he’s running as an independent.

“We’ve seen this divisive political structure from Washington make its way to Baton Rouge and I think it’s obstructed the success of consensus and going forward, because I mean we do need to build bridges, build roads and make things happen. We need to work on our education system. We need to stop the recidivism and prison time,” he said.

Lundy said there’s a need for insurance reform, and that he supports business, industry and education. Though he has successfully won large monetary awards in pollution cases, he said he will be good for business and industry.

In his law practice, Lundy said he has been a champion for victims of catastrophic events.

This will not be the first time Lundy has run for political office. He previously ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 as a Democrat, losing in the runoff election to Congressman Chris John.

There has been speculation that Lundy would run for the state’s top job since forming an exploratory committee last year when he began traveling the state to hear the concerns of voters.

Attorney General Jeff Landry and State Treasurer John Schroder have announced plans to run as Republicans.

Qualifying for the race is in August. Voters will head to the polls to choose Louisiana’s next governor in the fall of 2023.

The last governor from this area was Sam Houston Jones during World War II.

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