Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2019

Elections in Louisiana, 2019

• Primary: Oct. 12
• General election: Nov. 16
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16 (in-person and mail) or Oct. 26 (online)
• Early voting: Nov. 2-Nov. 9
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 15

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: Photo ID required
• Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m (7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for elections that fall on a Saturday)

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On the ballot: Governor • Lt. Gov • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • Municipal • 

2023 → ← 2015
Governor of Louisiana
Primary election General election
Election details
Filing deadline: August 8, 2019
Primary: October 12, 2019 General: November 16, 2019 Pre-election incumbent(s): John Bel Edwards (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Louisiana
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up Inside Elections: Toss-up
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2019 Impact of term limits in 2019 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2019
Louisiana executive elections
Governor Lieutenant governor Attorney general Secretary of state Agriculture commissioner Insurance commissioner Treasurer Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (8 seats)

Incumbent Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) defeated businessman Eddie Rispone (R) in the general election for governor of Louisiana on November 16, 2019.

Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

At the time of the election, Edwards was the only Democratic governor in the Deep South, and he was the only Democrat holding statewide office in Louisiana. He defeated U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R) in 2015 and succeeded Bobby Jindal (R) in the governor's office, breaking a Republican trifecta in the state.

John Bel Edwards was the first incumbent Louisiana governor to run in a general election since the state adopted an all-party primary system in 1975. Under that system, a candidate can win an election by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary; otherwise, the top two finishers advance to a general election. Of the 11 gubernatorial elections from 1975 to 2015, five were open and six featured incumbents seeking re-election. One incumbent advanced to a general election—Edwin Edwards (no known relation to John Bel) in 1987—but he conceded to his opponent before the election. Of the other five incumbents who ran for re-election, two lost in primaries and three won outright in primaries.

The gubernatorial election coincided with elections for the state Senate and state House, meaning that all three trifecta components were on the ballot. Republicans maintained their majorities in the state House and Senate. They won a veto-proof supermajority in the Senate but fell two seats short of the threshold in the House. Edwards' win meant the state would remain under divided government. A win from Rispone would have made Louisiana a Republican trifecta.

During his campaign, Edwards said that Louisiana went from having a budget deficit to a budget surplus during his tenure. He emphasized increasing funding for K-12 schools, raising teacher pay, and expanding Medicaid in the state as other accomplishments of his administration. He said Rispone would make cuts to healthcare and education if elected governor and criticized Rispone's business record.

Rispone described himself as a conservative outsider and job creator, pointing to his background as a businessman. He highlighted his support for President Donald Trump (R), who dually endorsed him and Ralph Abraham (R) in the primary election. Rispone characterized Edwards as a "liberal, trial lawyer, tax-and-spend career politician" and criticized Edwards' record on the economy, public safety, immigration, and healthcare.

Democratic Governors Association (DGA) spokesperson Jared Leopold said, "Gov. Edwards is in a strong position for re-election and is one of the most popular governors in America for a reason: He’s working across party lines to get things done for Louisianans." Republican Governors Association (RGA) spokesperson Jon Thompson said the race would be competitive due to "the state’s solid red hue combined with President Trump’s 20-point victory in 2016."

Click here for coverage of the October 12, 2019 primary election.

As of the election, there were 27 Republican governors and 23 Democratic governors across the 50 states. Two other states held gubernatorial elections in 2019: Kentucky and Mississippi. As a result of 2019's elections, Republicans were set to hold 26 governorships to Democrats' 24; Democrats picked up the office in Kentucky.

This election was a battleground race. Other 2019 battlegrounds included:

Mayoral election in Nashville, Tennessee (2019) Mayoral election in Phoenix, Arizona (2018-2019) North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District special election, 2019

Candidates and election results

Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

General election for Governor of Louisiana

Incumbent John Bel Edwards defeated Eddie Rispone in the general election for Governor of Louisiana on November 16, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Bel Edwards (D)	51.3	774,498
		Eddie Rispone (R)	48.7	734,286

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,508,784 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Governor of Louisiana

The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of Louisiana on October 12, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Bel Edwards (D)	46.6	625,970
✔		Eddie Rispone (R)	27.4	368,319
		Ralph Abraham (R)	23.6	317,149
		Oscar Dantzler (D)	0.8	10,993
	Submit photo	Patrick Landry (R)	0.8	10,966
		Gary Landrieu (Independent)	0.8	10,084

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,343,481
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Manuel Leach (R)
• Patrick Doguet (R)
• M.V. Mendoza (D)

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

The candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

John Bel Edwards, Louisiana governor

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: Yes

Political office: Governor of Louisiana (Assumed office: 2016); Louisiana state representative, District 72 (2008-2015)

Biography: Edwards received a B.S. in engineering from the United States Military Academy. He served eight years as an airborne ranger in the U.S. Army following his graduation. He then received a J.D. from Louisiana State University and opened a civil law practice. In the state House, Edwards served as minority leader from 2012 to 2015.

Key messages

• Edwards said the state went from having a deficit to having a surplus under his leadership through bipartisan work. His first TV ad stated Edwards was "leading Louisiana in the right direction."

• Edwards listed as accomplishments expanding Medicaid, raising teacher pay, increasing K-12 and higher education funding, and saving hospitals and nursing homes.

• Edwards said Rispone would "drag us back to the deficits and cuts to healthcare and education of Bobby Jindal." He criticized Rispone's plan to freeze Medicaid enrollment in addition to his business record.

• Edwards highlighted his background as an airborne ranger, saying that protecting Louisiana families is also his responsibility as governor.

Eddie Rispone, businessman

Party: Republican

Incumbent: No

Political office: None

Biography: Rispone received a B.S. in construction technology from Louisiana State University. He founded ISC Constructors with his brother. Rispone served as national chairman of Associated Builders & Contractors, a trade association, in 2003. Former Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) appointed him chairman of the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council.

Key messages

• Rispone said in a TV ad, "I'm no career politician. I'm a conservative outsider who stands with our president."

• Rispone emphasized his support for a constitutional convention and for Trump's immigration policies. He said he was pro-life and supported work requirements for welfare recipients, lower taxes, and the Second Amendment.

• Rispone referred to Edwards as a "liberal, trial lawyer, tax-and-spend career politician" and said that Louisiana ranked toward the bottom in healthcare, safety, education, and economy under Edwards.

• Rispone stated he was a "proven job creator" and employed more than 3,000 families through his construction business.

Campaign finance

Campaign finance figures for top candidates are detailed below.

• Note: State law prohibited Edwards from fundraising during the two-month state legislative session and for 30 days after, from early April to early July, 2019. Edwards' figures include funds raised throughout 2018 while Rispone started fundraising in the final quarter of 2018.

Self-financing

• Rispone loaned his campaign $12 million through October 27, 2019.

Campaign ad spending

As of October 17, 2019, campaigns spent the following on broadcast advertising.

• Edwards: $5.5 million
• Rispone: $3.8 million

On October 23, 2019, Medium Buying reported that the campaigns had spent the following on TV and radio ads to air during the general election:

• Edwards: $1.6 million
• Rispone: $1.3 million

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2019
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 14, 2019	November 5, 2019	October 22, 2019	October 8, 2019
The Cook Political Report	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Lean Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Democratic	Toss-up	Toss-up	Lean Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Endorsements
Noteworthy Endorsement	Edwards (D)	Rispone (R)
Elected officials
President Donald Trump (R)		✔
Vice President Mike Pence (R)		✔
Louisiana Senate President John Alario (R)	✔
State Sen. Dan Morrish (R)	✔
Individuals
Former candidate Ralph Abraham (R)		✔
Newspapers and editorials
Gambit	✔
Big Easy Magazine editorial board	✔
The Times-Picayune editorial board	✔
Central City News editorial board		✔

Click here to see a list of endorsements in the October 12 primary election.

Links to full endorsement lists from candidates' campaign websites are provided below, if available. Ralph Abraham Primary Election Endorsements Endorsement Abraham (R) Edwards (D) Rispone (R) Elected officials President Donald Trump (R) ✔ ✔ Vice President Mike Pence (R) ✔ ✔ U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins (R) ✔ Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Craig Greene (R) ✔ 10 Republican state representatives (including Lance Harris (R), chair of House GOP delegation) ✔ 15 mayors ✔ 42 city and town councilmembers ✔ New Orleans Democratic delegation in the state legislature ✔ New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell (D) ✔ 7 New Orleans City Council members ✔ 7 Baton Rouge local officials, including Parish President Sharon Weston Broome (D) ✔ 6 Baton Rouge-area state legislators ✔ 2 Republican state senators, including Senate President John Alario ✔ 16 Republican state legislators ✔ Individuals Former Governor Kathleen Blanco (D) ✔ Former Gov. Edwin Edwards (D) ✔ 7 2016 Republican National Convention Trump delegates from Louisiana ✔ Newspapers and editorials Gambit ✔ Big Easy Magazine editorial board ✔ The Times-Picayune editorial board ✔ Central City News editorial board ✔ Unions International Union of Police Associations ✔ Organizations Louisiana Cotton & Grain Association ✔ Louisiana Democratic Party ✔ Louisiana Home Builders Association ✔ Louisiana Sheriffs Association ✔ Louisiana Oil and Gas Association ✔ Louisiana Conservative Republican Coalition ✔ Louisiana Republican Party ✔ ✔ Jefferson Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ St. Landry Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Rapides Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ St. Charles Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ St. Bernard Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ ✔ St. Tammany Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Bossier Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Acadia Republican Parish Executive Committee ✔ Richland Parish Chamber of Commerce ✔ Lincoln Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Livingston Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Caddo Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Iberia Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Webster Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Winn Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Orleans Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ ✔ Ascension Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Lafayette Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ ✔ Washington Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Tangipahoa Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ Calcasieu Parish Republican Executive Committee ✔ ✔ PACs Louisiana Association of Business and Industry's four regional PACs ✔ ✔ Louisiana Medical Political Action Committee ✔ Bikers for Trump 2020 ✔ Louisiana Manufacturers Political Action Committee ✔ GNOR PAC ✔ Republican Women of Louisiana ✔

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2019
Poll	Poll sponsor	Edwards (D)	Rispone (R)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Cygnal November 7-9, 2019	N/A	50%	48%	2%	+/-3.5	800
Mason-Dixon Polling & Research November 5-7, 2019	Gray Television	48%	46%	6%	+/-4	625
JMC Analytics October 24-26, 2019	Nexstar Communications	48%	46%	6%	+/-4.0	600
We Ask America October 14-16, 2019	N/A	47%	47%	6%	+/-4.0	600
AVERAGES		48.25%	46.75%	5%	+/-3.88	656.25
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Click here to see polls conducted ahead of the October 12 primary election.

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Dantzler (D) Landry (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size JMC Analytics October 3-5, 2019 Louisiana Association of Health Plans 45% 19% 20% 1% 2% 1% 14% +/-4.0 600 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Dantzler (D) Landry (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Mason-Dixon Polling & Research October 1-4, 2019 Gray Television 45% 17% 22% 4% 0% 2% 10% +/-4 625 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Undecided Margin of error Sample size We Ask America September 24-26, 2019 47% 17% 23% 2% 11% +/-4.0 600 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Dantzler (D) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Remington Research Group September 25, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 47% 22% 20% 1% 2% 8% +/-2.9 1,040 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Dantzler (D) Landry (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size JMC Analytics September 19-21, 2019 Louisiana Association of Health Plans 46% 18% 21% 1% 2% 1% 12% +/-4.2 550 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Landrieu (I) Dantzler (D) One of the other candidates Undecided Margin of error Sample size Remington Research Group September 10-11, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 45% 27% 19% 2% 0% 1% 6% +/-2.9 1,144 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial primary, 2019 Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Rispone (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Remington Research Group June 1-2, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 42% 34% 8% 16% +/-2.6 1,471 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Hypothetical matchup polls: Louisiana gubernatorial election hypothetical matchup, Edwards vs. Abraham Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Abraham (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Mason-Dixon Polling & Research October 1-4, 2019 Gray Television 53% 38% 9% +/-4 625 Remington Research Group September 10-11, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 48% 44% 8% +/-2.9 1,144 Remington Research Group June 1-2, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 45% 45% 10% +/-2.6 1,471 AVERAGES 48.67% 42.33% 9% +/-3.17 1,080 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. Louisiana gubernatorial election hypothetical matchup, Edwards vs. Rispone Poll Poll sponsor Edwards (D) Rispone (R) Undecided Margin of error Sample size Mason-Dixon Polling & Research October 1-4, 2019 Gray Television 51% 42% 7% +/-4 625 Remington Research Group September 10-11, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 49% 44% 7% +/-2.9 1,144 Remington Research Group June 1-2, 2019 Ralph Abraham campaign 49% 38% 13% +/-2.6 1,471 AVERAGES 49.67% 41.33% 9% +/-3.17 1,080 Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

• The Democratic Governors Association contributed $5.5 million to the pro-Edwards Gumbo PAC through October 27, 2019.
  • Gumbo PAC had spent $3.9 million toward the race as of September 20.
  • As of October 23, Gumbo PAC spent $1.1 million on radio and TV ads to air during the general election.

• Make Louisiana Great Again PAC, created by Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R), had spent $373,000 on radio and TV ads to air during the general election as of October 23. The group released a TV ad opposing Edwards on October 24.

• The Republican National Committee spent $1 million on get-out-the-vote efforts in the days leading up to the election, bringing their contributions to $2 million, Politico reported on November 14.

• The Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC had spent $6.2 million toward the race through October 27. The group aired opposition ads against Edwards.

• Truth in Politics, a group opposing Edwards, spent $750,000 on an ad released October 3.

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

John Bel Edwards

Support

"We're Not Going Back" - Edwards campaign ad, released November 12, 2019

"Your Life" - Edwards campaign ad, released October 25, 2019

"This Election" - Edwards campaign ad, released October 15, 2019

"'We Know Gov. Edwards'" - Edwards campaign ad, released October 6, 2019

"Still John Bel" - Edwards campaign ad, released October 4, 2019

"Bipartisan" - Edwards campaign ad, released September 27, 2019

"Serve and Protect" - Edwards campaign ad, released September 17, 2019

"Harder Right" - Edwards campaign ad, released September 12, 2019

"Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reforms in Louisiana" - Edwards campaign ad, released September 6, 2019

"Highest" - Edwards campaign ad, released September 3, 2019

"Four Years Ago" - Edwards campaign ad, released September 3, 2019

"Thousands" - Edwards campaign ad, released August 27, 2019

"Cindy" - Edwards campaign ad, released August 19, 2019

"Every Child" - Edwards campaign ad, released August 5, 2019

"Family Tradition" - Edwards campaign ad, released July 23, 2019

"Surplus" - Edwards campaign ad, released July 8, 2019

"First Teacher Pay Raise in a Decade" - Rebuild Louisiana ad, released June 17, 2019

"Courage to Compromise" - Rebuild Louisiana ad, released June 13, 2019

"Louisiana's Energy Industry in Southwest Louisiana" - Edwards campaign ad, released May 14, 2019

"Better Off: Commitment to Education" - Edwards campaign ad, released April 16, 2019

"Put Louisiana First" - Edwards campaign ad, released March 19, 2019

"Better Off: Louisiana's Budget" - Edwards campaign ad, released March 15, 2019

"Better Off: Our Growing Economy" - Edwards campaign ad, released February 4, 2019

"John Bel Edwards for Governor 2019" - Edwards campaign ad, released January 22, 2019

Opposed

• Eddie Rispone released an ad titled "Mismanaged" around October 31, 2019. Click here to view the ad.

"Extremists" - Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC ad, released November 12, 2019

"Games" - Rispone campaign ad, released November 12, 2019

"Tony" - Rispone campaign ad, released November 12, 2019

"Too Liberal" - Rispone campaign ad, released November 8, 2019

"Card" - Rispone campaign ad, released November 5, 2019

"With Her" - Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC ad, released November 1, 2019

"Its Real Radio" - Rispone campaign ad, released November 4, 2019

"First Radio" - Rispone campaign ad, released November 4, 2019

"Really Angry" - Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC ad, released October 24, 2019

"Give Victims a Voice" - Make Louisiana Great Again PAC ad, released October 24, 2019

"Last" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 24, 2019

"Again" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 24, 2019

"Can't Take" - Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC ad, released October 18, 2019

"Jobs" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 18, 2019

"Illegals" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 18, 2019

"Insurance" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 18, 2019

"Pardons" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 18, 2019

"Out" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 16, 2019

"My Chance" - Truth in Politics ad, released October 3, 2019

"Keep Her Quiet" - Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC ad, released October 3, 2019

"LAGOP Digital Ad - 'No More Silence'" - Republican Party of Louisiana ad, released September 25, 2019

"Deplorables" - Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC ad, released September 20, 2019

"One Thing" - Rispone campaign ad, released September 19, 2019

"Dangerous" - Rispone campaign ad, released September 17, 2019

"A Success" - Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC ad, released September 13, 2019

"Only One" - Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC ad, released August 28, 2019

"His Word" - Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC ad, released July 30, 2019

"Left Behind" - Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC ad, released July 9, 2019

"Dead Last" - Republican Governors Association Right Direction PAC ad, released May 15, 2019

"John Bel Edwards: Great For Texas, Bad For Louisiana" - Republican Governors Association ad, released February 21, 2019

Eddie Rispone

Support

• Eddie Rispone released a campaign ad titled "Stepping up" on October 9, 2019. Click here to view the ad.

"Rallying" - Rispone campaign ad, released November 11, 2019

"Scalise" - Rispone campaign ad, released November 7, 2019

"Jason" - Rispone campaign ad, released November 4, 2019

"Ruby" - Rispone campaign ad, released November 4, 2019

"President Trump Reminds Louisiana to Vote Early for Eddie Rispone" - Republican Party of Louisiana ad, released November 1, 2019

"The Man I Know" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 31, 2019

"Linda" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 31, 2019

"Pro" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 16, 2019

"Vote out JBE" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 11, 2019

"Make LA Great Again" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 11, 2019

"Pro-Life - Pro-Family" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 11, 2019

"Beard" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 9, 2019

"On the Road" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 5, 2019

"Good Man" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 4, 2019

"Excuses" - Rispone campaign ad, released October 1, 2019

"Change" - Rispone campaign ad, released September 17, 2019

"Time" - Rispone campaign ad, released September 16, 2019

"Home" - Rispone campaign ad, released September 6, 2019

"Play to Win" - Rispone campaign ad, released August 30, 2019

"Thousands" - Rispone campaign ad, released August 20, 2019

"Every Morning" - Rispone campaign ad, released August 12, 2019

"So Easy" - Rispone campaign ad, released August 5, 2019

"Stands" - Rispone campaign ad, released July 25, 2019

"Eddie Stands with President Trump" - Rispone campaign ad, released July 22, 2019

"It's Time to Drain the Swamp" - Rispone campaign ad, released July 10, 2019

"Eddie Stands with President Trump" - Rispone campaign ad, released July 8, 2019

"Vocational Training" - Rispone campaign ad, released April 29, 2019

"Eddie Stands with President Trump" - Rispone campaign ad, released April 22, 2019

"Conservative. Outsider. Businessman." - Rispone campaign ad, released April 19, 2019

"A Conservative Outsider. Not a Career Politician." - Rispone campaign ad, released April 15, 2019

"Driven by Faith and Family" - Rispone campaign ad, released April 11, 2019

Opposed

• Restore Our Coast PAC began running two ads around November 8 opposing Rispone. Click here and here to view the ads.
• The Black Organization for Leadership Development's political action committee released a radio ad featuring New Orleans City Councilmember Jay Banks comparing Eddie Rispone and Donald Trump to David Duke. Click here to learn more about the ad.
• John Bel Edwards released an ad titled "We Can't Go Back" around October 31, 2019. Click here to view the ad.

"Unpatriotic" - Edwards campaign ad, released November 12, 2019

"Trust" - Gumbo PAC ad, released October 29, 2019

"Not Right" - Edwards campaign ad, released October 21, 2019

"The Ultimate Insider" - Gumbo PAC ad, released October 17, 2019

"No Business" - Edwards campaign ad, released October 17, 2019

"Phony Rispone" - Gumbo PAC ad, released August 18, 2019

Debates and candidate forums

If you are aware of debates or candidate forums that should be included, please email us.

October 30, 2019

Edwards and Rispone participated in a debate hosted by Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

Video:

• Louisiana Public Broadcasting

Click here to see a list of debates and forums held ahead of the October 12 primary election.

October 9, 2019 Abraham, Edwards, and Rispone met for a debate hosted by Gray Television stations. Video: KNOE Coverage: Monroe News Star September 26, 2019 Abraham, Edwards, and Rispone participated in a debate hosted by Louisiana Public Broadcasting and the Council for a Better Louisiana. Video: Louisiana Public Broadcasting Coverage: Associated Press WWNO September 23, 2019 Abraham, Edwards, and Rispone participated in a candidate forum hosted by the Baton Rouge Press Club. Coverage: WAFB BR Proud September 19, 2019 Abraham, Edwards, and Rispone participated in a televised debate hosted by Louisiana State University's Manship School of Mass Communication and Nexstar Media Group TV stations. Video: BR Proud Coverage: KALB Associated Press September 5, 2019 Abraham and Rispone took part in a forum hosted by the Louisiana Federation of Republican Women. Coverage: KALB 4WWL WAFB August 1, 2019 Ralph Abraham and John Bel Edwards participated in two forums: one hosted by the Louisiana Municipal Association in Monroe and the other hosted by the Louisiana Sheriffs Association in Baton Rouge. Rispone was invited to the events but did not attend; his campaign cited scheduling conflicts. Coverage: Monroe News Star Associated Press The Advocate

Campaign themes

John Bel Edwards

Campaign website

The following themes were found on Edwards' campaign website.

“	STATE BUDGET Louisiana’s budget is much better off under Governor Edwards. Three years ago, Louisiana faced a more than $2 billion budget deficit, the largest in our state’s history. Our hospitals and universities were suffering from years of deep cuts and unemployment was going up while our credit rating was going down. In 2018, Governor Edwards brought together both Republicans and Democrats to forge a bipartisan, fiscally responsible budget compromise. Thanks to that bipartisan budget compromise, Louisiana cut taxes by $600 million from 2017 to 2018 and has had three consecutive years of budget surpluses for the first time in a decade. In those budget negotiations, Governor Edwards successfully fought to protect higher education, TOPS, hospitals, law enforcement funding and veterans affairs from needless and painful cuts. Now our critical priorities have reliable funding for the first time in a decade, more than two million Louisianans are working, and our credit rating is improving. With stable funding and budget surpluses, Louisiana can invest in our critical priorities without raising taxes. Governor Edwards has made state government more efficient, cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in state government spending and reducing the number of state government contracts by 25%. HEALTHCARE On his first day in office, Governor Edwards’ signed an executive order to expand Medicaid to provide healthcare for working people in Louisiana. That decision brought $1.85 billion federal tax dollars back home to Louisiana that were otherwise being sent to other states, is responsible for more than 19,000 jobs, and cut our uninsured rate in half. Those numbers pale in comparison to the lives that are being saved. More than 450,000 working Louisianans have enrolled in Medicaid Expansion. 73,000 are women who have received breast cancer screenings. 13,000 are Louisianans who had colon cancer averted after a screening. 15,000 are Louisianans now receiving treatment for previously undiagnosed diabetes. 89,000 are Louisianans now receiving Mental Health services. And 17,000 are Louisianans receiving substance abuse services. And thanks to Medicaid Expansion, Louisiana hasn’t seen a single rural hospital close its doors. Governor Edwards is also standing up to fight efforts to take away your healthcare. He has opposed litigation that would seek to undo Medicaid Expansion and take away protections for 850,000 Louisianans who have pre-existing medical conditions. And in case efforts to take away those protections are successful, Governor Edwards supports a bipartisan solution to write protections for Louisianans with pre-existing conditions into state law. ECONOMY Since Governor Edwards took office, his administration has secured more than 160 major economic development projects, including the largest in Louisiana history. Those projects have brought $40 billion in new capital investment and more than 30,000 new permanent jobs. Louisiana’s economy is now bigger than it’s ever been, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In 2018, Louisiana reached its lowest unemployment rate in a decade. And the number of people working in Louisiana is near record-high levels. Under Governor Edwards, Louisiana is attracting new companies and industries that are diversifying Louisiana’s economy. He believes the key to a strong economy is a well-educated and job-ready workforce. After suffering the largest disinvestment in the country under the previous administration, Gov. Edwards and the legislature stabilized funding for higher education. His administration is making targeted investments in education to help Louisiana’s young people fill the thousands of good-paying jobs created by technology companies like DXC in New Orleans and CGI in Lafayette. In 2018, the Edwards Administration launched the first-ever Information Technology (IT) apprenticeship program in Louisiana. In 2018, the state worked with utility companies to establish a Line Worker Training Program at Louisiana community colleges. The Edwards Administration also launched the Louisiana Contractors Accreditation Institute, which has helped hundreds of young, emerging contractors acquire skills and become fully licensed. Under Governor Edwards, Louisiana has seen record-high employment of construction professionals. In fact, Louisiana’s FastStart program has been named the Number 1 Workforce Training Program in America every year Governor Edwards has been in office. Governor Edwards also knows small businesses are the backbone of so many communities. That’s why Governor Edwards launched the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, to advise the governor on how his administration and the legislature can help businesses grow. The Edwards Administration has helped Louisiana’s small business owners create more than 6,000 jobs and increase their sales by more than $500 million. But Governor Edwards knows that $7.25 an hour is not a meaningful wage in 2019, and he supports a modest but meaningful increase to Louisiana’s minimum wage. Our neighbors in other southern states like Arkansas have seen their minimum wages raised without job losses, and it’s time for Louisiana to follow suit. Governor Edwards also believes in equal pay for equal work, and has consistently introduced and advocated for legislation to ensure that women are paid the same as men for doing the same job. Louisiana has the worst gender pay gap in the nation, and Governor Edwards is committed to fixing it. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM In Louisiana, Criminal Justice Reform is working to reduce our crime rate, cut recidivism in half, and save taxpayer dollars. This bipartisan legislation was written with the help of law enforcement and district attorneys and has allowed our state to shed the label of incarceration capital of the world – a title the state held for nearly 40 years. Louisiana’s criminal justice reform is now being used as a model for national reforms championed by President Trump. As the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Sheriffs, Governor Edwards knows firsthand that smarter law enforcement means safer communities. And Louisiana is leading the way to a more secure future. The criminal justice reform proposals championed by the legislature passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2017. A strong coalition of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents joined with the religious right, the religious left, law enforcement, and the business community to implement reforms that were modeled off of efforts in other southern, conservative states like Texas and South Carolina. In the end, the full package of bills promoted public safety, supported victims, and reinvested savings in programs that better train incarcerated individuals for life outside of prison. EDUCATION It’s time for Louisiana to invest in our students and teachers. With a teaching shortage for over a decade and K-12 funding decreases across the nation, we’re not living up to the promises we made to our children. That’s why Governor Edwards raised teacher pay for the first time in a decade and invested $20 million in early childhood education. This pay raise will help Louisiana recruit and retain more qualified teachers as we close in on the southern regional average. Governor Edwards is committed to making more investments in education in his second term. As the husband of a teacher, Governor Edwards knows first-hand we must invest more in education at all levels. After Louisiana led the nation in cuts to higher education under the previous governor, Governor Edwards has stopped the cuts and stabilized funding for our universities and community colleges. Governor Edwards’ bipartisan budget compromise of 2018 prevented a 30% cut to TOPS that would’ve encouraged Louisiana’s best and brightest students to leave the state for college. Governor Edwards believes that our higher education institutions are key drivers of economic development. As part of the largest-ever economic development deal in Louisiana’s history to bring DXC Technology to Louisiana, Governor Edwards invested $25 million in higher education to produce more Louisiana graduates with STEM degrees. Last year, Governor Edwards worked with technology firm CGI to secure an expansion of the IT Center of Excellence at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. That expansion will bring 400 new jobs to Louisiana and build on a program to boost graduates from the University’s School of Computing & Informatics. TAXES In 2018, Louisiana cut taxes from the previous year by $600 million as part of a bipartisan budget compromise forged by Governor Edwards and a bipartisan coalition of legislators. That tax cut predominantly helped working Louisianans, with a cut to the sales tax and a boost to the state Earned Income Tax Credit. VETERANS Governor Edwards knows first-hand the sacrifices America’s servicemen and servicewomen make for their country. As a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Governor Edwards served eight years as an Airborne Ranger infantry officer. He commanded a parachute infantry company in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. Governor Edwards is a lifetime member of the Acadiana Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association. Governor Edwards also knows that veterans don’t stop serving when they come home. As business owners, Louisiana veterans continue to serve their communities with distinction and play an integral role in our economy. That’s why Governor Edwards passed the Veterans First Business Initiative, the first program of its kind in the nation. The initiative will connect veteran businesses to new customers across the state through a database where Louisianans can find veteran businesses near them. Governor Edwards is deeply committed to continuing to work closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the quality of healthcare available to our state’s servicemen and servicewomen. Our veterans have made sacrifices to keep us safe, and it is our duty to ensure they receive timely access to adequate healthcare when they need it. As the state faced historic deficits, demanding cuts across state government, Gov. Edwards consistently protected the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs from unnecessary cuts that would hurt Louisiana veterans. COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION Under Governor Edwards, Louisiana has more coastal restoration projects underway than at any point in our history. In fact, 27 restoration projects have been completed on the Louisiana coast since Governor Edwards took office, providing $5.25 billion in value to the region and making Louisiana an international leader in coastal restoration. Though the restoration will take decades, Governor Edwards knows that there isn’t a single day to waste. That’s why he has met Louisiana’s coastal challenges with bipartisanship and bold action. In 2017, he received unanimous approval from the Louisiana legislature for the Coastal Master Plan, which which calls for $50 billion over the next 50 years to protect and restore the coast. With the leadership of Governor Edwards, Louisiana has completed critical projects like the $216 million beach restoration near Fort Fourchon and the $116 reconstruction of Whiskey Island in Terrebonne Parish. These projects and others still ongoing will ensure that future generations of Louisianans can enjoy the same bayous and beaches that have made our state a Sportsman’s Paradise.	”
—John Bel Edwards

Eddie Rispone

Campaign website

Rispone reposted the following piece, originally published in The Hayride, on his campaign website.

“	Louisiana Needs An Outsider For eight long years under President Barack Obama, Americans were told that our economy was stagnant. We should not expect any better than two percent growth and that this was just the new normal they’d have to live with. Maybe America’s best days really were behind us. Then what happened? Americans shocked the system and elected Donald Trump: A businessman, an outsider, and just what America needed. Today have nearly 4 percent growth, and are in the midst of one of the greatest jobs booms since the end of World War II. What changed? Americans rejected the politicians and the pundits, threw away the same old playbook and elected someone who actually knows about creating jobs. We can use that same kind of leadership in Baton Rouge. That’s why I am running for Governor. Since January I’ve put over 10,000 miles on my truck traveling to 50 campaign stops across the state. The most frequent question is, “why is Louisiana always ranked last?” Louisiana is ranked 47th in healthcare, 48th in public safety, 49th in education, and dead last in opportunity. We’re at the bottom of all of the good lists and at the top of too many of the bad ones. Our lawsuit environment is killing jobs. Our citizens are over taxed. Too many of our children are trapped in failing schools. And we have a career politician in our Governor who has no idea how to get us out of this mess telling us that we should just be OK with being number 49 in everything. Well, guess what? I am not OK with it. We cannot continue down this path. I’ve had enough. Louisiana should be the best state in the south for jobs and opportunity. In my over 40 years in business I have traveled across the country and know Louisiana can compete. We have everything here we need to succeed. We have abundant natural resources, we have a skilled workforce, we have some of the busiest ports in the world, we have a magnificent tourist destination in New Orleans, we have the bountiful Gulf of Mexico, and we have great universities…It’s all here for us to be one of the states that leads America, if we have the right leadership. If you look around the country you see that voters are turning away from the same old tax and spend career politicians, and turning to leadership–conservative outsiders with serious business backgrounds–to solve the problems left by career politicians. Doug Ducey in Arizona inherited a $1 billion deficit and balanced the budget in his first year…without raising taxes. Pete Ricketts in Nebraska is breaking state records for new jobs and employment, climbing up the rankings of fastest growing states for tech jobs. And last year, here in our backyard, Tennessee elected CEO Bill Lee, a conservative outsider who ran against two politicians, and pledged to shake up the establishment. And I don’t need to remind you again who is in the White House. Voters are not looking for another politician to come in and trim around the edges. They are not looking for someone with the same excuses for not getting it done. No, the people of our state want a fresh approach. They want someone who will throw out the old rule book and get the job done. I am blessed to be the co-founder and chairman of a $350 million company that we built from scratch. Being a successful entrepreneur means that you never rest. You never accept the status quo. It means never accepting failure. You always have to keep striving towards success, no matter how difficult. You’re always challenging yourself and your team. You’re always asking tough questions. This fall, we need a conservative outsider, not a career politician–someone who can walk into the Governor’s office and reject all of the failed thinking of the past–by both parties. If we want to change our state government, we have to change the kind of leaders we send to Baton Rouge. I know that if we do that, then Louisiana can lead the nation. But it starts with an outsider.	”
—Eddie Rispone

Timeline

• November 14, 2019:
  • President Donald Trump held a rally in Bossier City in support of Rispone.
  • The Republican National Committee spent an additional $1 million toward the race on get-out-the-vote efforts, bringing its total to $2 million.
  • Ratings outlet Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball changed its race rating from Toss-up to Leans Democratic.

• November 5-9, 2019: Two polls were conducted that showed Edwards and Rispone tied within margins of error. Each poll showed Edwards 2 points ahead of Rispone, with margins of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points and +/- 4 points.

• November 9, 2019: In-person early voting took place November 2-9. Early voting turnout broke a record for a non-presidential election, with 489,649 people having voted early in person (451,171) or by absentee ballot (38,478) for the November 16 general election by November 9.
  • Ahead of the November 21, 2015, general election, 270,144 Louisianans voted early in person (234,975) or by absentee ballot (35,169).
  • Ahead of the November 8, 2016, general election, 531,555 Louisianans voted early in person (468,539) or by absentee ballot (63,016).

• November 6, 2019:
  • President Donald Trump headlined a rally at the Monroe Civic Center in support of Rispone. Edwards also held a rally in Monroe.
  • Campaign finance reports showed Rispone with $16.7 million in receipts, including $12 million he loaned his campaign, to Edwards' $13.4 million raised from 2018 to October 27, 2019. Rispone had $2.3 million on hand to Edwards' $1.5 million.

• October 30, 2019: A debate between Edwards and Rispone took place, hosted by Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

• October 28, 2019: Vice President Mike Pence (R) attended a fundraiser in support of Rispone in Baton Rouge.

• October 26, 2019: A poll showed Edwards and Rispone tied within the margin of error with 48 percent and 46 percent support, respectively. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points.

• October 16, 2019: A poll showed Edwards and Rispone tied with 47 percent support. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points.

• October 12, 2019:
  • Edwards and Rispone advanced from the primary to the November 16 general election.
  • Ralph Abraham endorsed Rispone.

Click here to see a timeline of events leading up to the October 12 primary election.

October 11, 2019: President Donald Trump (R) held a rally for Abraham and Rispone in Lake Charles the night before the primary election. Edwards held a news conference in Lake Charles earlier in the day. October 9, 2019: Gray Television stations hosted the final gubernatorial debate featuring Abraham, Edwards, and Rispone. October 7, 2019: Donald Trump Jr. headlined a rally for Abraham and Rispone in Lafayette. October 5, 2019: Vice President Mike Pence (R) headlined a rally outside New Orleans in support of Abraham and Rispone. A poll from JMC Analytics showed Edwards with 45 percent support, Rispone with 20 percent, and Abraham with 19 percent. Its margin of error was +/- 4.0 percentage points. October 4, 2019: A Mason-Dixon poll showed Edwards with 45 percent support, Rispone with 22 percent, and Abraham with 17 percent. Its margin of error was +/- 4 percentage points. October 2, 2019: Candidates filed updated campaign finance reports. From 2018 through September 22, 2019, Abraham raised $2.9 million, Edwards raised $9.2 million, and Rispone raised $13.3 million. Abraham loaned $300,000 to his campaign, while Rispone loaned $11.5 million to his. October 1, 2019: President Donald Trump (R) endorsed both Abraham and Rispone. September 26, 2019: Abraham, Edwards, and Rispone participated in a debate. Also, a poll found Edwards with 47 percent support, Rispone with 23 percent, and Abraham with 17 percent. Its margin of error was +/- 4.0 percentage points. September 25, 2019: A poll found Edwards with 47 percent support, Abraham with 22 percent, and Rispone with 20 percent. Its margin of error was +/- 2.9 percentage points. September 24, 2019: Edwards was endorsed by the mayor of New Orleans, the seven members of the New Orleans City Council, and the Democratic members of New Orleans' delegation in the state legislature. September 23, 2019: Abraham, Edwards, and Rispone participated in a candidate forum hosted by the Baton Rouge Press Club. September 21, 2019: A poll found Edwards with 46 percent support, Rispone with 21 percent, and Abraham with 18 percent. Its margin of error was 4.2 percentage points. September 19, 2019: Abraham, Edwards, and Rispone participated in their first televised debate of the race. September 18, 2019: The Louisiana Sheriffs Association and the International Union of Police Associations endorsed Edwards. U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins (R) endorsed Abraham. September 12, 2019: Candidates filed updated campaign finance reports. From 2018 through September 2, 2019, Abraham raised $2.7 million, Edwards raised $8.2 million, and Rispone raised $13.2 million. Rispone loaned $11.5 million to his campaign. September 11, 2019: An internal poll from Abraham's campaign showed Edwards with 45 percent support, Abraham with 27 percent, and Rispone with 19 percent. In hypothetical one-on-one matchups: 1) Edwards had 48 percent support to Abraham's 44 percent; 2) Edwards had 49 percent to Rispone's 44 percent. Between 6 percent and 8 percent of respondents were undecided on each question, and the poll had a margin of error of 2.9 percent. September 5, 2019: Abraham and Rispone participated in a candidate forum. September 3, 2019: The Louisiana Republican Party endorsed both Abraham and Rispone in the October 12 primary. August 27, 2019: Three candidates were disqualified from the race for not having filed state and federal income tax returns for each of the past five years: Patrick Doguet, Manuel Leach, and M. V. Mendoza. August 21, 2019: The four regional political action committees of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry endorsed both Abraham and Rispone. August 12, 2019: Abraham released his first TV ad August 8, 2019: Nine candidates qualified for the race by the deadline. August 1, 2019: Abraham and Edwards participated in two candidate forums. July 23, 2019: Rispone released his first TV ad. July 15, 2019: Campaign finance reports showed Rispone with $9.8 million on hand, Edwards with $9.6 million on hand, and Abraham with $1.3 million on hand. July 8, 2019: Edwards released his first statewide TV ad. June 13-14, 2019: Landrieu released two TV ads. March 8, 2019: The Louisiana Democratic Party endorsed John Bel Edwards.

Social media

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John Bel Edwards

Eddie Rispone

Facebook accounts

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John Bel Edwards

Eddie Rispone

Other executive elections

Gubernatorial elections will also be held in 2019 in Kentucky and Mississippi. Louisiana will also be holding elections for lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, agriculture and forestry commissioner, and insurance commissioner.

Potential impact on trifecta status

See also: Trifecta vulnerability in the 2019 elections

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Heading into the 2019 elections, Louisiana had been under divided government since Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) assumed office in 2016. Edwards was a Democrat while Republicans held majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Louisiana held elections for governor, all 39 state Senate seats, and all 105 state House seats. In order to win a trifecta, Republicans needed to maintain their majorities in the state legislature while winning the gubernatorial election. Democrats needed to win majorities in both chambers of the state legislature while holding the governorship.

In the October 12, 2019, primary elections, Republicans won 25 seats in the state Senate and 63 seats in the state House, enough to form a majority in both chambers. This meant that Democrats could not gain a trifecta in Louisiana in 2019. Because the gubernatorial election was rated Toss-up, Ballotpedia rated the chances of a Republican trifecta forming as a moderate possibility.

Past elections

2015

See also: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2015

The general election for Louisiana governor between David Vitter (R) and John Bel Edwards (D) was held on November 21, 2015. Edwards defeated his Republican opponent.

Governor of Louisiana, Run-off election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Bel Edwards	56.1%	646,860
	Republican	David Vitter	43.9%	505,929
Total Votes				1,152,789
Election Results via the Louisiana Secretary of State.

Governor of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Bel Edwards	39.9%	444,061
	Republican	David Vitter	23%	256,105
	Republican	Scott Angelle	19.3%	214,907
	Republican	Jay Dardenne	15%	166,553
	Democratic	Cary Deaton	1.1%	11,750
	Democratic	S L Simpson	0.7%	7,411
	Independent	Beryl Billiot	0.5%	5,690
	Independent	Jeremy "JW" Odom	0.4%	4,755
	Independent	Eric Paul Orgeron	0.2%	2,244
Total Votes				1,113,476
Election Results Louisiana Secretary of State.

2011

See also: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2011

Governor of Louisiana, 2011
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bobby Jindal Incumbent	65.8%	673,239
	Democratic	Tara Hollis	17.9%	182,925
	Democratic	Cary Deaton	4.9%	50,071
	Democratic	Trey Roberts	3.3%	33,280
	Independent	David Blanchard	2.6%	26,705
	Democratic	Niki Bird Papazoglakis	2.1%	21,885
	Libertarian	Scott Lewis	1.2%	12,528
	Independent	Robert Lang, Jr.	0.9%	9,109
	Independent	Ron Caesar	0.8%	8,179
	Independent	Leonard Bollingham	0.5%	5,242
Total Votes				1,023,163
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State

2007

Governor of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2007
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Bobby Jindal	53.9%	699,275
	Democratic	Walter J Boasso	17.5%	226,476
	Nonpartisan	John Georges	14.4%	186,682
	Democratic	Foster Campbell	12.5%	161,665
	Democratic	Mary Volentine Smith	0.5%	5,868
	Independent	B. Alexandrenko	0.4%	4,791
	Independent	Anthony "Tony G" Gentile	0.3%	3,372
	Libertarian	T. Lee Horne III	0.2%	2,648
	Nonpartisan	Sheldon Forest	0.2%	2,323
	Democratic	M.V. "Vinny" Mendoza	0.2%	2,080
	Democratic	Hardy Parkerson	0.1%	1,666
	Nonpartisan	Arthur D. "Jim" Nichols	0.1%	994
Total Votes				1,297,840
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State

2003

Governor of Louisiana, General Election, 2003
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Kathleen Blanco	51.9%	731,358
	Republican	Bobby Jindal	48.1%	676,484
Total Votes				1,407,842
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State

State profile

See also: Louisiana and Louisiana elections, 2019

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019.

Presidential voting pattern

• Louisiana voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2018 elections, both U.S. senators from Louisiana were Republican.
• Louisiana had one Democratic and five Republican U.S. representatives.

State executives

• Democrats held three and Republicans held nine of Louisiana's 15 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
• Louisiana's governor was Democrat John Bel Edwards.

State legislature

• Republicans controlled the Louisiana State Senate with a 25-14 majority.
• Republicans controlled the Louisiana House of Representatives with a 62-39 majority.

Louisiana Party Control: 1992-2025
Eight years of Democratic trifectas  •  Seven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Louisiana quick stats

• Became a state in 1812
• 18th state admitted to the United States
• Louisiana is the only state with political subdivisions called parishes.
• Members of the Louisiana State Senate: 39
• Members of the Louisiana House of Representatives: 105
• U.S. senators: 2
• U.S. representatives: 6

More Louisiana coverage on Ballotpedia:

• Louisiana elections, 2019
• Presidential voting trends in Louisiana
• United States congressional delegations from Louisiana
• Public policy in Louisiana
• Influencers in Louisiana
• Almanac of American Politics state profile
• More...

Demographic data for Louisiana
	Louisiana	U.S.
Total population:	4,668,960	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	43,204	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	62.8%	73.6%
Black/African American:	32.1%	12.6%
Asian:	1.7%	5.1%
Native American:	0.6%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	1.8%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	4.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	83.4%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	22.5%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$45,047	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	23.3%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Louisiana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

See also

Louisiana government:

• Louisiana state executive offices
• Louisiana State Legislature
• Louisiana courts

Elections:

• State executive official elections, 2019
• State executive official elections, 2018
• State executive official elections, 2017

Ballotpedia exclusives:

• State executives compensation
• State of the state addresses
• Trifecta control of state government

External links

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