Amid an ongoing power struggle between state Republicans and New Orleans Democrats, Gov. Jeff Landry said New Orleans is no longer as important to Louisiana’s economic success as it has been in the past.

“Used to be, the saying was, ‘Where goes New Orleans, where goes the state.’ Let me tell you what happened today. That has changed, ” Landry said Monday after a press conference announcing the expansion of an enormous Meta data center project in northeast Louisiana.

“Where goes Louisiana will determine the fate of New Orleans, okay?” the GOP governor said.

Landry’s remarks about New Orleans – the largest Democratic stronghold in Republican Louisiana – come after almost two weeks of feuding between the city’s leaders, the governor and Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill, Landry’s closest political ally.

A New Orleans grand jury indicted Murrill shortly before the July 4 holiday over allegations of malfeasance in office and intimidation of New Orleans elected officials.