John Bel Edwards’ re-election campaign says they have a record amount of cash on hand for an incumbent Louisiana Governor, with 9.62 million dollars in the bank.
UL Lafayette Poli Sci Professor Pearson Cross says the re-election campaign began a strong fundraising effort early in anticipation of a major clash with Senator John Kennedy or AG Jeff Landry that never materialized.
“Governor Edwards has been assiduous with collecting money to fund his re-election campaign. I think he knows, and has known from the beginning, that he was going to have to make a strong case.”
The Edwards campaign was barred from fundraising between April 8th and July 7th due to laws prohibiting governors from fundraising during the Legislative session.
It’s a significant pile of money, so as a Democrat incumbent in a Republican state, where is a lot of it coming from?
“Trial Lawyers Association, perhaps some of the DAs, some of the other people who have historically supported them like the unions and teachers.”
Edwards is up against Republicans Eddie Rispone and Congressman Ralph Abraham.
Cross says Edwards is in a good position to be re-elected, because along with the hefty war chest, the Governor has something that money can’t buy…
“He can visit parishes, he can talk to people who are elected there, he can let his official business take him all over the state. He gets a lot of unpaid advertising that these other candidates, frankly, are going to have trouble doing.”
The primary for the governor’s race will take place October 12th.
