Jeremy Odom

Jeremy Odom

Independent

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

2004 - 2007

Jeremy Odom was an independent candidate for governor of Louisiana in the 2015 election. Odom was defeated in the blanket primary on October 24, 2015, by Democrat John Bel Edwards and Republican David Vitter, coming in eighth place overall.

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Upon graduating from Natchitoches Central High School in 2004, Odom enlisted in the United States Army, where he served until 2007. During his time of service, he was awarded with a number of medals including the Army Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Achievement Award. Currently he works as a Baptist minister and a tax specialist.

Elections

2015

See also: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2015

Odom was a candidate for governor of Louisiana in the 2015 election.

Results

Primary election

No candidate received an outright majority in the blanket primary election on October 24, 2015. The two candidates with the most votes, who qualified for the November runoff election, were John Bel Edwards (D) and David Vitter (R).

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.

General election

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.

Issues

According to his profile on Democracy.com, Odom had 10 major campaign proposals or themes:

• Living Wage
  • "I will work with our state legislature to pass a state minimum wage law that will allow for a progressive minimum wage to increase with inflation to adequately provide for Louisiana workers to live beyond poverty limits"
• Transparent & Accountable Leadership
  • "I will use the full power of my office to defend whistle blowers - should they take shelter within our state"
  • "Put all permissible state government data online"
  • "Create an online "open checkbook" showing all significant financial transactions as individual line items"
  • "Require agencies to work with cities, parishes and other agencies to put their data online"
  • "Build maps and models, to provide an open, easy, way for people to know what is happening in their communities."
• A Better Future for Every Child
  • "All students graduate from high school prepared with 21st century skills"
  • "Achievement and opportunity gaps among students are eliminated"
  • "All Louisiana students will have access to post-secondary education or training to pursue the career of his or her choice."
• Job Creation
  • "I will strive to make Louisiana a place where people and businesses want to move by working to make this the freest and least taxed state in the union"
• State Deregulation
  • "Jeremy is a supporter of Louisiana deregulating utilities in the state"
• LA Infrastructure
  • "Improvements upon our infrastructure will be one of my highest priorities"
  • "I will work to address state road and bridge improvements as well as renovation and modernization of our schools to include Wi-Fi services to accommodate digital classrooms."
• Abolish LA Income Tax
  • "I will work diligently to eliminate the loathed and complicated state personal income tax"
  • "In order to maintain revenues, I will work with the state legislature to adjust our state sales tax appropriately"
• Supporting Small Business
  • "Provid[e] tax relief for Small Businesses"
  • "Mak[e] Government work for Small Businesses"
  • "Improv[e] Workforce Training"
• Priorities for Veterans
  • "Creating an economy where good paying jobs are created and provide opportunity to returning veterans"
  • "Increasing small business development for veterans and their families"
  • "Expanding contracting opportunities for veteran-owned businesses with our military bases and other federal government agencies"
  • "Supporting public/private partnerships develop rehabilitative opportunities for severely disabled veterans"
  • "Ensuring that veterans in Louisiana maximize their earned federal benefits in order to reinvest state resources in needed community programs"
  • "Reducing the number of homeless vets by identifying resources and programs"
  • "Recognizing with expedited certifications and licenses the skills and abilities that veterans and their families bring to Louisiana"
  • "Maintain the integrity of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs leadership team to continue its mission and services"

Polls

Run-off election candidates match-up: David Vitter (R) vs. John Bel Edwards (D)

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	David Vitter (R)	John Edwards (D)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Anzalone Liszt Grove/Gumbo PAC October 26-28, 2015	40%	52%	7%	+/-3.7	700
Market Research Insight October 27-28, 2015	41%	49%	10%	+/-4.1	600
JMC Analytics/WVLA October 28-31, 2015	36%	52%	16%	+/-4	600
Market Research Insight November 11-14, 2015	38%	53%	9%	+/--	600
JMC Analytics November 14-16, 2015	35%	51%	13%	+/-3.9	635
AVERAGES	38%	51.4%	11%	+/-1.54	627
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.

Primary election candidates match-up

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	David Vitter (R)	John Edwards (D)	Jay Dardenne (R)	Scott Angelle (R)	Undecided or Other	Margin of error	Sample size
MarblePort Polling March 17, 2015	34%	31%	14%	7%	14%	+/-2.99	1,071
Southern Media & Opinion Research May 5 - 9, 2015	38.1%	24.6%	16.5%	5.4%	5.4%	+/-4	600
Market Research Insight May 27 - 29, 2015	32%	21%	18%	13%	16%	+/-3.5	700
Triumph Campaigns June 29 - 30, 2015	31%	30%	11%	14%	14%	+/-2.4	1,653
Market Research Insight July 27-31, 2015	22%	20%	13%	24%	21%	+/-4	600
The Hayride/MarblePort August 4-5, 2015	31.1%	30.6%	13.4%	14.1%	10.8%	+/--	1,050
Triumph Campaigns September 18, 2015	29%	35%	11%	12%	13%	+/-2.9	1,125
Public Policy Polling September 21-22, 2015	27%	28%	14%	15%	17%	+/-4	616
Triumph Campaigns September 29-30, 2015	28%	35%	15%	10%	13%	+/-2.9	1,047
KPLC/Raycom Media October 7-13, 2015	21%	24%	8%	7%	37%	+/-4	602
MRI October 14-16, 2015	20%	38%	14%	16%	11%	+/--	600
MRI October 15-19, 2015	19%	36%	14%	17%	12%	+/--	600
University of New Orleans Survey Research Center/Lucid October 14-19, 2015	27%	25%	11%	14%	23%	+/--	623
MarblePort October 20-21, 2015	28.5%	40.5%	14.1%	12.7%	4.3%	+/-3.0	1,464
AVERAGES	25.85%	27.91%	12.47%	12.08%	14.1%	+/-0.78	894.33
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.

Run-off hypothetical match-up: Scott Angelle (R) vs. John Bel Edwards (D)

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	Scott Angelle (R)	John Edwards (D)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Public Policy Polling September 21-22, 2015	40%	40%	20%	+/-4	616
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.

Run-off hypothetical match-up: John Bel Edwards (D) vs. David Vitter (R)

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	John Edwards (D)	David Vitter (R)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
KPLC/Raycom Media October 7-13, 2015	48%	32%	20%	+/-4	602
Public Policy Polling September 21-22, 2015	50%	38%	12%	+/-4	616
AVERAGES	49%	35%	16%	+/-4	609
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.

Run-off hypothetical match-up: John Bel Edwards (D) vs. Jay Dardenne (R)

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	John Edwards (D)	Jay Dardenne (R)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Public Policy Polling September 21-22, 2015	40%	42%	18%	+/-4	616
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.

Run-off hypothetical match-up: Scott Angelle (R) vs. David Vitter (R)

Governor of Louisiana
Poll	David Vitter (R)	Scott Angelle (R)	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
Causeway Solutions September 13-16, 2015	32%	43.4%	24.6%	+/---	800
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.

Debates

November 16 debate

The final debate between Louisiana gubernatorial candidates John Bel Edwards (D) and David Vitter (R) took place at the Dunham School in Baton Rouge, La., on November 16, 2015.

The first topic of the debate was how each candidate would handle the 10,000 Syrian refugees that President Obama said the United States will accept in the coming months. Both candidates said they support Governor Bobby Jindal's executive order preventing more refugees from entering Louisiana, beyond the 14 already settled. Vitter accused Edwards, however, of siding with Obama on the issue in a recent Facebook post.

The candidates also debated character issues and tax policy.

In his closing statement, Vitter addressed allegations that he had solicited the services of prostitutes in the past, arguing that he had grown as a person. Edwards had mentioned it multiple times, directly and indirectly, throughout the evening.

November 10 debate

The two remaining candidates for Louisiana governor, David Vitter (R) and John Edwards (D), participated in a debate in Baton Rouge. Topics at the November 10, 2015, debate included health insurance, K-12 education, the state budget and infrastructure and various campaign controversies. The debate lasted for one hour.

See also: Fact-checking John Bel Edwards on David Vitter's legislative record

November 9 debate

Gubernatorial Debate at Baton Rouge Press Club (November 9, 2015)

January 16 forum

Gubernatorial candidates Scott Angelle (R), Jay Dardenne (R), David Vitter (R) and John Edwards (D) opened Louisiana's election season with a largely congenial forum. All four candidates shared similar thoughts on funding for transportation and the state police along with the legacy of term-limited Gov. Bobby Jindal (R). Dardenne criticized the state's approach to new transportation projects, arguing that it was unsustainable and too political. Each candidate agreed that the state police should see decreases in their allotment from the transportation trust fund, which is funded by gas taxes. Vitter, a sitting U.S. senator, criticized Jindal for his budgeting practices and argued that the governor had used his position as a springboard to seek the presidency.

The biggest source of disagreement on January 16 was the state's financial support for parish transportation costs. Angelle and Edwards noted that parish governments needed state transportation aid because of their inability to generate enough revenue for local projects. Dardenne argued that current local aid, equaling more than one cent per dollar in gas taxes, needed to be decreased to preserve the state fund.

Campaign finance

Third quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $2,685,411.34 and spent a total of $3,535,658.92 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on September 25, 2015.

Campaign Contributions and Expenditures
Candidate	Office	Beginning balance	Contributions	Expenditures	Ending balance
David Vitter	Governor of Louisiana	$5,036,128.60	$839,256.29	$1,817,430.51	$4,056,066.63
Scott Angelle	Governor of Louisiana	$1,041,264.83	$619,962.04	$593,877.65	$1,046,210.64
Jay Dardenne	Governor of Louisiana	$1,863,338.32	$376,345.21	$604,699.33	$1,619,108.36
John Edwards	Governor of Louisiana	$1,071,207.26	$841,974.24	$516,506.89	$1,383,344.03
Cary Deaton	Governor of Louisiana	$218.54	$1,100.71	$1,319.25	$0.00
Eric Paul Orgeron	Governor of Louisiana	$0.00	$1,572.85	$1,230.29	$342.56
Beryl Billiot	Governor of Louisiana	$100.53	$5,200.00	$595.00	$4,705.53
Grand Total Raised					$2,685,411.34
Grand Total Spent					$3,535,658.92

Second quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $2,785,400.33 and spent a total of $1,873,096.62 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on September 25, 2015.

Campaign Contributions and Expenditures
Candidate	Office	Beginning balance	Contributions	Expenditures	Ending balance
David Vitter	Governor of Louisiana	$4,210,300.47	$1,343,769.29	$510,582.33	$5,036,128.60
Scott Angelle	Governor of Louisiana	$1,201,137.27	$787,933.00	$922,153.99	$1,041,264.83
Jay Dardenne	Governor of Louisiana	$1,854,112.97	$407,657.97	$379,492.62	$1,863,338.32
John Edwards	Governor of Louisiana	$894,173.86	$246,040.07	$60,196.00	$1,071,207.26
Cary Deaton	Governor of Louisiana	$890.22	$0.00	$671.68	$218.54
Beryl Billiot	Governor of Louisiana	$100.53	$0.00	$0.00	$100.53
Grand Total Raised					$2,785,400.33
Grand Total Spent					$1,873,096.62

First quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $2,539,527.28 and spent a total of $1,598,135.31 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on May 4, 2015.

Campaign Contributions and Expenditures
Candidate	Office	Beginning balance	Contributions	Expenditures	Ending balance
David Vitter	Governor of Louisiana	$3,504,174.14	$1,144,275.20	$431,810.24	$4,210,300.47
Scott Angelle	Governor of Louisiana	$1,431,310.95	$641,686.04	$851,911.00	$1,201,137.27
Jay Dardenne	Governor of Louisiana	$1,549,526.30	$520,925.40	$198,848.13	$1,854,112.97
John Edwards	Governor of Louisiana	$784,919.30	$230,140.64	$113,781.44	$894,173.86
Cary Deaton	Governor of Louisiana	$0.00	$2,500.00	$1,609.78	$890.22
Beryl Billiot	Governor of Louisiana	$275.25	$0.00	$174.72	$100.53
Grand Total Raised					$2,539,527.28
Grand Total Spent					$1,598,135.31

Annual report (2014)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $6,699,634.53 and spent a total of $1,267,092.55 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on February 19, 2015.

Campaign Contributions and Expenditures
Candidate	Office	Beginning balance	Contributions	Expenditures	Ending balance
David Vitter	Governor of Louisiana	$0	$4,107,597.72	$600,212.83	$3,504,174.14
Scott Angelle	Governor of Louisiana	$175,574.96	$1,516,900.82	$232,370.28	$1,431,310.95
Jay Dardenne	Governor of Louisiana	$1,225,114.71	$690,128.62	$326,051.28	$1,549,526.30
John Edwards	Governor of Louisiana	$474,725.46	$385,007.37	$108,458.16	$745,894.30
Grand Total Raised					$6,699,634.53
Grand Total Spent					$1,267,092.55

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Jeremy Odom Louisiana governor. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Jeremy Odom - Google News

External links

Suggest a link

• Twitter, "Jeremy41a"
• Democracy.org, "Jeremy41a bio"
• Project Vote Smart, "Jeremy Odom"