Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards wins re-election in a deep red state despite a massive push by state and national Republicans to retake the Mansion.
LSU Poli Sci Professor Robert Hogan says Edwards’ blend of cultural conservatism and dedication to popular services like healthcare and education put him at the center of the state’s political gravity.
“He ran as a very conservative, or I should say moderate, Democrat,” says Hogan. “Being pro-life, being pro-gun, and working with Republicans in the Legislature were things that appealed to a wide swath of voters.”
This comes despite three visits to the state by President Trump in just over a month. Hogan says Rispone worked hard to tie himself to the President, but it may have been a double-edged sword.
“What Rispone was counting on was that being a very big mobilizer for the Republican base, and perhaps it was, but I think what he did not count on was the counter mobilization effect that it had. I think a lot of Democrats were mobilized to turnout,” says Hogan.
Turnout in Orleans parish, the state’s Democratic stronghold, surged in the run-off to 49 percent, up from 39 percent in the primary.
Edwards returns for a four-year stint that Hogan says will be a lot tougher than his first term now that Republicans have a near-supermajority in the lower chamber.
“The world has changed a little bit from the last four years, and he is going to have to compromise even more in order to get any part of his agenda through,” says Hogan.
The GOP entered the night with a supermajority in the Senate.
