A shocker in Baton Rouge as political newcomer Sid Edwards has unseated two-term incumbent mayor Sharon Weston Broome and will become the parish’s next mayor-president in January. The Republican Edwards got 54-percent of the vote, compared to 46-percent for the Democrat Broome. At his victory rally, the longtime high school football coach said voters wanted change.
“We’re not saying that everything has been bad in Baton Rouge. We have never said that, but there are some things that need to change and its my promise to you as the next mayor-president it’s going to happen.”
John Couvillon (COO-vee-ahn), the owner and founder of JMC Analytics and Polling, says not only can money not buy you love, but it also cannot buy the mayor-president’s seat in Baton Rouge, since Edwards was greatly outspent during the campaign.
“Who was substantially outspent. I believe it was $80,000 versus $600,000 for Mayor Broome versus about $1 million for Ted James, who finished third.”
Couvillon says two factors in particular worked in Edwards’ favor on Saturday.
“Number 1, lagging minority turnout. Number 2, Republicans were very strongly in Coach Sid’s corner.”
Couvillon says another big takeaway from this election was the fact that votes for Ted James in the primary ended up being votes against Sharon Weston Broome, since most of those votes ended up going to Edwards in the runoff. The 61-year-old Edwards is the first Republican to be elected mayor-president in East Baton Rouge Parish in 24 years.
Comments