Louisiana’s governor’s race is one to watch

Not to make light of serious political races, but there are few states where the race for governor is more entertaining than in Louisiana. This year is no exception.

President Donald Trump is heading to the state to rally for both Republican candidates Eddie Rispone and Dr. Ralph Abraham. VP Mike Pence, in New Orleans recently, urged voters to unite in support of the “Republican cause.” The unusual strategy is to force a runoff aimed at keeping the current Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards, below 50% in Saturday’s election.

Edwards is the only Democrat governor in the deep South, which overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump in 2016. He won when former Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican, was term limited. Edwards is a hard-core leftist who was a delegate for Barack Obama — who twice lost Louisiana’s electoral votes, and supported scandal-plagued Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Edwards, who won with only 39.9%, benefited by having three GOP challengers splitting the vote. Louisiana is the only state that has sanctioned political chaos in what is known as a “jungle primary” system — where all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, appear on the same primary ballot.

Although one of the most expensive state elections ever, with over $50 million spent by candidates and outside interest groups, Edwards also could have been assisted, as one could only be in Louisiana, by carrying the magical name of Edwards. In 1991, when four-time, charismatic Democrat Gov. Edwin Edwards (no relation), who served prison time for racketeering, was running in opposition to former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, the bumper stickers appearing on cars all over the state carried the slogan, “Vote for the Crook. It’s important.” Edwin Edwards won.

In 2019, Republican gubernatorial candidates are three term Congressman Ralph Abraham, M.D. and electrical contractor, Eddie Rispone, one of Louisiana’s wealthiest residents, who has benefited from hiring foreign workers over locals. Rispone is reported to have dropped over $12 million of his personal money into his campaign, flooding the market with TV ads. Conservatives should be supporting U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham M.D.

This is Dr. Ralph Abraham’s dynamic campaign ad: