Dillard University Political Analyst Robert Collins says voter turnout for the gubernatorial election proves the Louisiana Democratic Party is no longer a legitimate opposition party. Collins says the Democratic party turnout was nearly 30 percent lower than in 2019.
“This is the first time in modern history that the Democratic party was not able to at the very least put a candidate into a gubernatorial runoff. So that shows a very serious weakness in the party.”
Historically, when Democrats have gotten out the vote in early voting, it led to victories for their party. In 2008, Mary Landrieu and Barack Obama won in Louisiana by big margins. And in 2015 & 2019, John Bel Edwards won both his terms in office. Collins says the Democratic turnout in Orleans Parish was at 27 percent.
“That’s a structural issue. That’s a get-out-the-vote issue. That’s a boots-on-the-ground issue. That’s not an ideological issue. That’s a case where you just fail to put basic campaign apparatus on the ground to excite your voters.”
Only 24 percent of Louisiana’s black registered voters showed up to the polls in Saturday’s primary compared to 72 percent of white voters. Collins believes the Democratic Party needs to rebuild with new leadership.
“It doesn’t have an organized get-out-the-vote effort. It doesn’t have an organized messaging platform and so it’s not really carrying out the very basic functions that would be carrying out right now.”
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