Governor’s chief of staff exits to lead pro-Landry group

The leader of Jeff Landry’s executive team is moving on to lead an organization dedicated to advancing the governor’s agenda.

Protect Louisiana Values announced Monday that Landry’s chief of staff Kyle Ruckert has been named chairman of the organization. Ruckert led the governor’s team for his first two years in office.

“The Governor has led a historic two years of progress for Louisiana,” Ruckert said in a statement. “Now, we are in the final sprint of his first term to accomplish even more and inform the voters of his historic tax reform, bold crime-reducing initiatives, insurance reform and so much more.”

Along with Ruckert, Protect Louisiana Values also includes a trio of senior advisers with a history in Republican state politics: Brent Littlefield, Courtney Guastella and Jay Connaughton.

Protect Louisiana Values is a 501c(4) social welfare organization with nonprofit status for tax purposes. Louisiana’s campaign finance laws allow individual donors to conceal their contributions to so-called “dark money” groups, making for the public it difficult to determine who provides the dollars behind political candidates and causes.

In its news release,  Protect Louisiana Values said the group “has played an active role in accomplishing the Governor’s bold vision for Louisiana” and credited its advocacy for state tax cuts, public education gains, lower insurance rates and improving the state’s business climate.

“With Kyle’s continued leadership, we will take our message directly to people and with their help accomplish even bigger and bolder improvements for Louisiana,” Landry said in the organization’s news release.

The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a question about who will replace Ruckert as chief of staff. Ryan Roberts is currently the governor’s deputy chief of staff. 

Ruckert is the second notable departure from the Landry administration in 2026. Millard Mule, one of the governor’s top policy directors, left that role to launch a private consultancy, The Times-Picayune reported.  

Protect Louisiana Values is best known for providing the financial resources needed for Landry to rent a live tiger to bring to the sidelines of Tiger Stadium for LSU’s home football game against Alabama.

The group also contributed $300,000 to a failed campaign last spring to get voter support for four amendments to the state constitution that Landry sought. The proposals included an overhaul of the state’s income tax structure and a measure to treat more minors as adults in the criminal justice system.

Organizations aligned with the governor spent more than $1 million on the March 2024 election in support of the amendments, and opponents culled together more than $500,000 in their effort to defeat them.

Correction: This report was updated to identify Protect Louisiana Values as a nonprofit social welfare organization.