Gov. John Bel Edwards had to check off three boxes to win re-election Saturday over businessman Eddie Rispone, after narrowly falling short in the primary. He needed to turn out dramatically more African-American voters, who form the core of the Democratic Party. He needed to win at least 10% of […] Read more »
What John Bel Edwards’s big Louisiana win says about Democrats — and Trump
John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, won reelection as governor of deep-red Louisiana on Saturday by a comfortable 40,000 votes — after President Trump had repeatedly campaigned for his Republican opponent. Worse for Trump, this came after he positively begged voters to support the Republican, casting it as a referendum on […] Read more »
President Trump Bet Big This Election Year. Here’s Why He Lost.
… “You got to give me a big win, please, O.K.,” the president pleaded with a red-hatted crowd last Thursday in Bossier City, La. But on Saturday night, Mr. Trump’s wager backfired in spectacular fashion. Not only did Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, win re-election by more than 40,000 […] Read more »
Why Republicans lost another deep-red state in Louisiana governor’s election
For the second time this month, Republican President Donald Trump failed to carry a Republican gubernatorial candidate across the finish line in a deep-red state. Last time, Kentucky was the stage. This time it was Louisiana. … The Democrat’s victory Saturday is another demonstration of the limits of Trump’s appeal […] Read more »
Another warning for Republicans: Trump can’t win you your election
After Republicans edged out Democrats in a number of special elections in 2017, Democrats consoled themselves by noting how close they’d run in normally Republican districts. Too bad, came the rejoinder from their opponents. Moral victory or not, narrow losses don’t get you political power. While not wrong, it’s the […] Read more »
Why the Louisiana Governor’s Race Is So Close
The crucial cultural dividing line in Louisiana has always been north-south. Those who live in north Louisiana are mostly Protestant, speak with a familiar Southern twang and, in the modern era, voted heavily Republican. But rural South Louisiana is more Catholic, the accent is like nothing else (as anyone knows […] Read more »