2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election


The 2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held to elect the Governor of Louisiana. Incumbent Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards won re-election to a second term, defeating Republican businessman Eddie Rispone. Edwards became the first Democratic Governor of Louisiana to win re-election to a second consecutive term in 44 years since Edwin Edwards in 1975. It was the closest Louisiana gubernatorial election since 1979.
Under Louisiana's jungle primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot, regardless of party, and voters may vote for any candidate, regardless of their party affiliation. Because no candidate received an absolute majority of the vote during the primary election on October 12, 2019, a runoff election was held on November 16, 2019, between the top two candidates in the primary, Edwards and Rispone. Louisiana is the only state that has a jungle primary system.

Background

On Edwards’ Inauguration Day in 2015, House Republicans, in a break with tradition, elected their own speaker, Representative Taylor Barras of New Iberia, over Edwards' choice, Representative Walt Leger of New Orleans. This move was said to be orchestrated by House GOP Chairman Lance Harris, who was considered a potential gubernatorial 2019 candidate and was a frequent Edwards critic. Edwards and Republican Legislative leaders repeatedly clashed over budget, tax and spending measures.
Attorney General Jeff Landry was perhaps Edwards' most prominent detractor, filing multiple lawsuits against the governor and frequently criticizing him in the media. The two disagreed the most on social policies, such as Landry's staunch opposition to Edwards' executive order providing protections for LGBT workers of state government and contractors. Landry also assumed the leadership of David Vitter‘s Political Action Committee, the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority,, the organisation that was widely considered instrumental to Clay Higgins' upset Congressional victory over Scott Angelle in 2016. Landry has closely aligned with President Donald Trump and attended Trump's 2017 State of the Union speech.
Edwards also become a favorite target of U.S. Representative Garret Graves, a Republican from Baton Rouge and former aide to Governor Bobby Jindal. Graves frequently criticized the governor during the state's response to the 2016 August floods in the state. The two notably sparred during a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, of which Graves is a member. Edwards' aides called the exchange a "political ambush" while Graves accused the governor of lying. Graves is also closely aligned with the Trump Administration and donated $300 to the Trump Inaugural fund. Graves also accompanied Vice President Mike Pence during a visit to parts of the Baton Rouge area in May 2017.
As the only Democratic Governor in the Deep South, Edwards and his agenda also been the target of numerous attacks from numerous groups affiliated with the national Republican Party such as America Rising and Americans for Prosperity. Edwards, declared himself to be unbothered by these groups, and went on to classify them as "a Washington, D.C., political action committee, trying to bring the never-ending campaign cycle to Louisiana."
Aware of their gubernatorial ambitions, Edwards and his aides repeatedly spoofed both U.S. senator John Neely Kennedy and Landry during their traditional response skits at Baton Rouge's Gridiron Show.
According to fundraising reports filed in 2016, Edwards had raised close to $3.3 million for his 2019 re-election effort. By comparison, Landry had $544,000 on hand for a potential future campaign. Graves and Kennedy had yet to form separate entities for statewide campaigns per Louisiana Law.
In the summer of 2017, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser announced that he would not be a candidate for governor in 2019, and had decided to run for re-election. Nungesser said that he had disclosed his plans to run for re-election to then Governor-elect John Bel Edwards during his transition period. During the fall of 2017, U.S. Representative Ralph Abraham was reported to be running polls and assembling a staff to enter the race.

Democratic candidates

Advanced to the runoff

Advanced to the runoff

Defeated in jungle primary

Polling

;with John Kennedy
Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Ralph
Abraham 		John
Kennedy 		Jeff
Landry 		Eddie
Rispone 		Undecided
October 15–21, 2018605 ± 4.9%36%6%30%8%4%18%
October 15–21, 2018605 ± 4.9%35%–38%–5%21%
September 11–12, 20181,615 ± 2.5%40%8%37%–3%12%
June 19–22, 2018600 ± 4.8%35%8%35%––22%

Endorsements

Runoff

Debates

Predictions

Polling

;with Ralph Abraham
Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Ralph
Abraham 		Undecided
October 8–9, 2019700 ± 3.7%43%45%12%
October 5–8, 2019600 ± 4.0%47%37%16%
October 1–4, 2019625 ± 4.0%53%38%9%
September 10–11, 20191,144 ± 2.9%48%44%8%
August 13–16, 2019600 ± 4.0%53%47%0%
July 19–21, 2019601 ± 4.0%49%39%11%
June 1–2, 20191,471 ± 2.6%45%45%10%
April 25–29, 2019650 ± 3.8%40%36%24%
April 9–11, 2019600 ± 4.1%45%28%27%
March 13–14, 20191,464 ± 2.6%47%45%8%
January 14–27, 2019600 –47%27%–
December 11–12, 20181,680 ± 2.4%44%44%12%
October 15–21, 2018605 ± 4.9%45%37%18%
September 11–12, 20181,615 ± 2.5%48%35%17%
February 20–22, 2018625 ± 4.0%51%28%21%

;with John Kennedy
Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		John
Kennedy 		Undecided
November 16–21, 2018500± 4.4%45%49%6%
October 15–21, 2018605 ± 4.9%39%48%14%
September 11–12, 20181,615 ± 2.5%43%47%10%
June 19–22, 2018600 ± 4.8%37%51%–
February 20–22, 2018625 ± 4.0%45%44%11%

;with Jeff Landry
Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Jeff
Landry 		Undecided
October 15–21, 2018605 ± 4.9%44%39%17%

;with Steve Scalise
Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Steve
Scalise 		Undecided
April 9–11, 2019600 ± 4.1%45%26%29%
February 20–22, 2018625 ± 4.0%46%43%11%

;with Generic Opponent
Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Generic
Opponent		Undecided
June 19–22, 2018600 ± 4.8%35%–65%

Results

Jungle primary

According to the Louisiana Secretary of State more than 384,000 early votes were cast, a significant increase from the 2015 gubernatorial election in which 234,000 early votes were cast.

Runoff