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Governor of Louisiana |
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Primary election General election |
Election details |
Filing deadline: August 8, 2019 |
Primary: October 12, 2019 General: November 16, 2019 Pre-election incumbent(s): John Bel Edwards (Democrat) |
How to vote |
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Louisiana |
Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up Inside Elections: Toss-up |
Ballotpedia analysis |
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2019 Impact of term limits in 2019 State government trifectas and triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2019 |
Louisiana executive elections |
Governor Lieutenant governor |
Incumbent Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) defeated businessman Eddie Rispone (R) in the general election for governor of Louisiana on November 16, 2019.
Louisiana elections use the Louisiana majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
At the time of the election, Edwards was the only Democratic governor in the Deep South, and he was the only Democrat holding statewide office in Louisiana.[1] He defeated U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R) in 2015 and succeeded Bobby Jindal (R) in the governor's office, breaking a Republican trifecta in the state.
John Bel Edwards was the first incumbent Louisiana governor to run in a general election since the state adopted an all-party primary system in 1975.[2] Under that system, a candidate can win an election by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary; otherwise, the top two finishers advance to a general election. Of the 11 gubernatorial elections from 1975 to 2015, five were open and six featured incumbents seeking re-election. One incumbent advanced to a general election—Edwin Edwards (no known relation to John Bel) in 1987—but he conceded to his opponent before the election. Of the other five incumbents who ran for re-election, two lost in primaries and three won outright in primaries.[3][4][5]
The gubernatorial election coincided with elections for the state Senate and state House, meaning that all three trifecta components were on the ballot. Republicans maintained their majorities in the state House and Senate. They won a veto-proof supermajority in the Senate but fell two seats short of the threshold in the House. Edwards' win meant the state would remain under divided government. A win from Rispone would have made Louisiana a Republican trifecta.
During his campaign, Edwards said that Louisiana went from having a budget deficit to a budget surplus during his tenure. He emphasized increasing funding for K-12 schools, raising teacher pay, and expanding Medicaid in the state as other accomplishments of his administration. He said Rispone would make cuts to healthcare and education if elected governor and criticized Rispone's business record.[6]
Rispone described himself as a conservative outsider and job creator, pointing to his background as a businessman. He highlighted his support for President Donald Trump (R), who dually endorsed him and Ralph Abraham (R) in the primary election. Rispone characterized Edwards as a "liberal, trial lawyer, tax-and-spend career politician" and criticized Edwards' record on the economy, public safety, immigration, and healthcare.[7]
Democratic Governors Association (DGA) spokesperson Jared Leopold said, "Gov. Edwards is in a strong position for re-election and is one of the most popular governors in America for a reason: He’s working across party lines to get things done for Louisianans."[8][9] Republican Governors Association (RGA) spokesperson Jon Thompson said the race would be competitive due to "the state’s solid red hue combined with President Trump’s 20-point victory in 2016."[8][10]
Click here for coverage of the October 12, 2019 primary election.
As of the election, there were 27 Republican governors and 23 Democratic governors across the 50 states. Two other states held gubernatorial elections in 2019: Kentucky and Mississippi. As a result of 2019's elections, Republicans were set to hold 26 governorships to Democrats' 24; Democrats picked up the office in Kentucky.
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
Incumbent John Bel Edwards defeated Eddie Rispone in the general election for Governor of Louisiana on November 16, 2019.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
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✔ |
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John Bel Edwards (D) |
51.3
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774,498 |
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Eddie Rispone (R) |
48.7
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734,286 |
Total votes: 1,508,784 (100.00% precincts reporting) |
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The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of Louisiana on October 12, 2019.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
✔ |
|
John Bel Edwards (D) |
46.6
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625,970 |
✔ |
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Eddie Rispone (R) |
27.4
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368,319 |
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Ralph Abraham (R) |
23.6
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317,149 | |
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Oscar Dantzler (D) |
0.8
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10,993 | |
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Patrick Landry (R) |
0.8
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10,966 | |
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Gary Landrieu (Independent) |
0.8
|
10,084 |
Total votes: 1,343,481 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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The candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Party: Democratic
Incumbent: Yes
Political office: Governor of Louisiana (Assumed office: 2016); Louisiana state representative, District 72 (2008-2015)
Biography: Edwards received a B.S. in engineering from the United States Military Academy. He served eight years as an airborne ranger in the U.S. Army following his graduation. He then received a J.D. from Louisiana State University and opened a civil law practice.[11] In the state House, Edwards served as minority leader from 2012 to 2015.[12][13]
Party: Republican
Incumbent: No
Political office: None
Biography: Rispone received a B.S. in construction technology from Louisiana State University. He founded ISC Constructors with his brother. Rispone served as national chairman of Associated Builders & Contractors, a trade association, in 2003. Former Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) appointed him chairman of the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council.[20][21]
Campaign finance figures for top candidates are detailed below.
As of October 17, 2019, campaigns spent the following on broadcast advertising.[28][29]
On October 23, 2019, Medium Buying reported that the campaigns had spent the following on TV and radio ads to air during the general election:[30]
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[32][33][34]
Race ratings: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2019 | |||||||||
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Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
November 14, 2019 | November 5, 2019 | October 22, 2019 | October 8, 2019 | ||||||
The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Lean Democratic | |||||
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Democratic | Toss-up | Toss-up | Lean Democratic | |||||
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. |
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes links to endorsement lists published on campaign websites, if available. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
Endorsements | ||||||
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Noteworthy Endorsement | Edwards (D) | Rispone (R) | ||||
Elected officials | ||||||
President Donald Trump (R)[35][36] | ✔ | |||||
Vice President Mike Pence (R)[37][38] | ✔ | |||||
Louisiana Senate President John Alario (R)[39] | ✔ | |||||
State Sen. Dan Morrish (R)[39] | ✔ | |||||
Individuals | ||||||
Former candidate Ralph Abraham (R)[40] | ✔ | |||||
Newspapers and editorials | ||||||
Gambit[41] | ✔ | |||||
Big Easy Magazine editorial board[42] | ✔ | |||||
The Times-Picayune editorial board[43] | ✔ | |||||
Central City News editorial board[44] | ✔ |
Click here to see a list of endorsements in the October 12 primary election. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||
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Poll | Poll sponsor | Edwards (D) | Rispone (R) | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||||
Cygnal November 7-9, 2019 | N/A | 50% | 48% | 2% | +/-3.5 | 800 | |||||||||||||
Mason-Dixon Polling & Research November 5-7, 2019 | Gray Television | 48% | 46% | 6% | +/-4 | 625 | |||||||||||||
JMC Analytics October 24-26, 2019 | Nexstar Communications | 48% | 46% | 6% | +/-4.0 | 600 | |||||||||||||
We Ask America October 14-16, 2019 | N/A | 47% | 47% | 6% | +/-4.0 | 600 | |||||||||||||
AVERAGES | 48.25% | 46.75% | 5% | +/-3.88 | 656.25 | ||||||||||||||
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. |
Click here to see polls conducted ahead of the October 12 primary election. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[80][81][82]
This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
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If you are aware of debates or candidate forums that should be included, please email us.
Edwards and Rispone participated in a debate hosted by Louisiana Public Broadcasting.
Video:
Click here to see a list of debates and forums held ahead of the October 12 primary election. | |||
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The following themes were found on Edwards' campaign website.
“ |
STATE BUDGET In 2018, Governor Edwards brought together both Republicans and Democrats to forge a bipartisan, fiscally responsible budget compromise. Thanks to that bipartisan budget compromise, Louisiana cut taxes by $600 million from 2017 to 2018 and has had three consecutive years of budget surpluses for the first time in a decade. In those budget negotiations, Governor Edwards successfully fought to protect higher education, TOPS, hospitals, law enforcement funding and veterans affairs from needless and painful cuts. Now our critical priorities have reliable funding for the first time in a decade, more than two million Louisianans are working, and our credit rating is improving. With stable funding and budget surpluses, Louisiana can invest in our critical priorities without raising taxes. Governor Edwards has made state government more efficient, cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in state government spending and reducing the number of state government contracts by 25%. HEALTHCARE More than 450,000 working Louisianans have enrolled in Medicaid Expansion. 73,000 are women who have received breast cancer screenings. 13,000 are Louisianans who had colon cancer averted after a screening. 15,000 are Louisianans now receiving treatment for previously undiagnosed diabetes. 89,000 are Louisianans now receiving Mental Health services. And 17,000 are Louisianans receiving substance abuse services. And thanks to Medicaid Expansion, Louisiana hasn’t seen a single rural hospital close its doors. Governor Edwards is also standing up to fight efforts to take away your healthcare. He has opposed litigation that would seek to undo Medicaid Expansion and take away protections for 850,000 Louisianans who have pre-existing medical conditions. And in case efforts to take away those protections are successful, Governor Edwards supports a bipartisan solution to write protections for Louisianans with pre-existing conditions into state law. ECONOMY Under Governor Edwards, Louisiana is attracting new companies and industries that are diversifying Louisiana’s economy. He believes the key to a strong economy is a well-educated and job-ready workforce. After suffering the largest disinvestment in the country under the previous administration, Gov. Edwards and the legislature stabilized funding for higher education. His administration is making targeted investments in education to help Louisiana’s young people fill the thousands of good-paying jobs created by technology companies like DXC in New Orleans and CGI in Lafayette. In 2018, the Edwards Administration launched the first-ever Information Technology (IT) apprenticeship program in Louisiana. In 2018, the state worked with utility companies to establish a Line Worker Training Program at Louisiana community colleges. The Edwards Administration also launched the Louisiana Contractors Accreditation Institute, which has helped hundreds of young, emerging contractors acquire skills and become fully licensed. Under Governor Edwards, Louisiana has seen record-high employment of construction professionals. In fact, Louisiana’s FastStart program has been named the Number 1 Workforce Training Program in America every year Governor Edwards has been in office. Governor Edwards also knows small businesses are the backbone of so many communities. That’s why Governor Edwards launched the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, to advise the governor on how his administration and the legislature can help businesses grow. The Edwards Administration has helped Louisiana’s small business owners create more than 6,000 jobs and increase their sales by more than $500 million. But Governor Edwards knows that $7.25 an hour is not a meaningful wage in 2019, and he supports a modest but meaningful increase to Louisiana’s minimum wage. Our neighbors in other southern states like Arkansas have seen their minimum wages raised without job losses, and it’s time for Louisiana to follow suit. Governor Edwards also believes in equal pay for equal work, and has consistently introduced and advocated for legislation to ensure that women are paid the same as men for doing the same job. Louisiana has the worst gender pay gap in the nation, and Governor Edwards is committed to fixing it. CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM The criminal justice reform proposals championed by the legislature passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2017. A strong coalition of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents joined with the religious right, the religious left, law enforcement, and the business community to implement reforms that were modeled off of efforts in other southern, conservative states like Texas and South Carolina. In the end, the full package of bills promoted public safety, supported victims, and reinvested savings in programs that better train incarcerated individuals for life outside of prison. EDUCATION After Louisiana led the nation in cuts to higher education under the previous governor, Governor Edwards has stopped the cuts and stabilized funding for our universities and community colleges. Governor Edwards’ bipartisan budget compromise of 2018 prevented a 30% cut to TOPS that would’ve encouraged Louisiana’s best and brightest students to leave the state for college. Governor Edwards believes that our higher education institutions are key drivers of economic development. As part of the largest-ever economic development deal in Louisiana’s history to bring DXC Technology to Louisiana, Governor Edwards invested $25 million in higher education to produce more Louisiana graduates with STEM degrees. Last year, Governor Edwards worked with technology firm CGI to secure an expansion of the IT Center of Excellence at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. That expansion will bring 400 new jobs to Louisiana and build on a program to boost graduates from the University’s School of Computing & Informatics. TAXES VETERANS Governor Edwards also knows that veterans don’t stop serving when they come home. As business owners, Louisiana veterans continue to serve their communities with distinction and play an integral role in our economy. That’s why Governor Edwards passed the Veterans First Business Initiative, the first program of its kind in the nation. The initiative will connect veteran businesses to new customers across the state through a database where Louisianans can find veteran businesses near them. Governor Edwards is deeply committed to continuing to work closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the quality of healthcare available to our state’s servicemen and servicewomen. Our veterans have made sacrifices to keep us safe, and it is our duty to ensure they receive timely access to adequate healthcare when they need it. As the state faced historic deficits, demanding cuts across state government, Gov. Edwards consistently protected the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs from unnecessary cuts that would hurt Louisiana veterans. COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION Though the restoration will take decades, Governor Edwards knows that there isn’t a single day to waste. That’s why he has met Louisiana’s coastal challenges with bipartisanship and bold action. In 2017, he received unanimous approval from the Louisiana legislature for the Coastal Master Plan, which which calls for $50 billion over the next 50 years to protect and restore the coast. With the leadership of Governor Edwards, Louisiana has completed critical projects like the $216 million beach restoration near Fort Fourchon and the $116 reconstruction of Whiskey Island in Terrebonne Parish. These projects and others still ongoing will ensure that future generations of Louisianans can enjoy the same bayous and beaches that have made our state a Sportsman’s Paradise. [89] |
” |
—John Bel Edwards[90] |
Rispone reposted the following piece, originally published in The Hayride, on his campaign website.
“ |
Louisiana Needs An Outsider For eight long years under President Barack Obama, Americans were told that our economy was stagnant. We should not expect any better than two percent growth and that this was just the new normal they’d have to live with. Maybe America’s best days really were behind us. Then what happened? Americans shocked the system and elected Donald Trump: A businessman, an outsider, and just what America needed. Today have nearly 4 percent growth, and are in the midst of one of the greatest jobs booms since the end of World War II. What changed? Americans rejected the politicians and the pundits, threw away the same old playbook and elected someone who actually knows about creating jobs. We can use that same kind of leadership in Baton Rouge. That’s why I am running for Governor. Since January I’ve put over 10,000 miles on my truck traveling to 50 campaign stops across the state. The most frequent question is, “why is Louisiana always ranked last?” Louisiana is ranked 47th in healthcare, 48th in public safety, 49th in education, and dead last in opportunity. We’re at the bottom of all of the good lists and at the top of too many of the bad ones. Our lawsuit environment is killing jobs. Our citizens are over taxed. Too many of our children are trapped in failing schools. And we have a career politician in our Governor who has no idea how to get us out of this mess telling us that we should just be OK with being number 49 in everything. Well, guess what? I am not OK with it. We cannot continue down this path. I’ve had enough. Louisiana should be the best state in the south for jobs and opportunity. In my over 40 years in business I have traveled across the country and know Louisiana can compete. We have everything here we need to succeed. We have abundant natural resources, we have a skilled workforce, we have some of the busiest ports in the world, we have a magnificent tourist destination in New Orleans, we have the bountiful Gulf of Mexico, and we have great universities…It’s all here for us to be one of the states that leads America, if we have the right leadership. If you look around the country you see that voters are turning away from the same old tax and spend career politicians, and turning to leadership–conservative outsiders with serious business backgrounds–to solve the problems left by career politicians. Doug Ducey in Arizona inherited a $1 billion deficit and balanced the budget in his first year…without raising taxes. Pete Ricketts in Nebraska is breaking state records for new jobs and employment, climbing up the rankings of fastest growing states for tech jobs. And last year, here in our backyard, Tennessee elected CEO Bill Lee, a conservative outsider who ran against two politicians, and pledged to shake up the establishment. And I don’t need to remind you again who is in the White House. Voters are not looking for another politician to come in and trim around the edges. They are not looking for someone with the same excuses for not getting it done. No, the people of our state want a fresh approach. They want someone who will throw out the old rule book and get the job done. I am blessed to be the co-founder and chairman of a $350 million company that we built from scratch. Being a successful entrepreneur means that you never rest. You never accept the status quo. It means never accepting failure. You always have to keep striving towards success, no matter how difficult. You’re always challenging yourself and your team. You’re always asking tough questions. This fall, we need a conservative outsider, not a career politician–someone who can walk into the Governor’s office and reject all of the failed thinking of the past–by both parties. If we want to change our state government, we have to change the kind of leaders we send to Baton Rouge. I know that if we do that, then Louisiana can lead the nation. But it starts with an outsider. [89] |
” |
—Eddie Rispone[91] |
Click here to see a timeline of events leading up to the October 12 primary election. | |||
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Gubernatorial elections will also be held in 2019 in Kentucky and Mississippi. Louisiana will also be holding elections for lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, agriculture and forestry commissioner, and insurance commissioner.
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Heading into the 2019 elections, Louisiana had been under divided government since Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) assumed office in 2016. Edwards was a Democrat while Republicans held majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Louisiana held elections for governor, all 39 state Senate seats, and all 105 state House seats. In order to win a trifecta, Republicans needed to maintain their majorities in the state legislature while winning the gubernatorial election. Democrats needed to win majorities in both chambers of the state legislature while holding the governorship.
In the October 12, 2019, primary elections, Republicans won 25 seats in the state Senate and 63 seats in the state House, enough to form a majority in both chambers. This meant that Democrats could not gain a trifecta in Louisiana in 2019. Because the gubernatorial election was rated Toss-up, Ballotpedia rated the chances of a Republican trifecta forming as a moderate possibility.
The general election for Louisiana governor between David Vitter (R) and John Bel Edwards (D) was held on November 21, 2015. Edwards defeated his Republican opponent.
Governor of Louisiana, Run-off election, 2015 | ||||
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Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Democratic | John Bel Edwards | 56.1% | 646,860 | |
Republican | David Vitter | 43.9% | 505,929 | |
Total Votes | 1,152,789 | |||
Election Results via the Louisiana Secretary of State. |
Governor of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2015 | ||||
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Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Democratic | John Bel Edwards | 39.9% | 444,061 | |
Republican | David Vitter | 23% | 256,105 | |
Republican | Scott Angelle | 19.3% | 214,907 | |
Republican | Jay Dardenne | 15% | 166,553 | |
Democratic | Cary Deaton | 1.1% | 11,750 | |
Democratic | S L Simpson | 0.7% | 7,411 | |
Independent | Beryl Billiot | 0.5% | 5,690 | |
Independent | Jeremy "JW" Odom | 0.4% | 4,755 | |
Independent | Eric Paul Orgeron | 0.2% | 2,244 | |
Total Votes | 1,113,476 | |||
Election Results Louisiana Secretary of State. |
Governor of Louisiana, 2011 | ||||
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Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | Bobby Jindal Incumbent | 65.8% | 673,239 | |
Democratic | Tara Hollis | 17.9% | 182,925 | |
Democratic | Cary Deaton | 4.9% | 50,071 | |
Democratic | Trey Roberts | 3.3% | 33,280 | |
Independent | David Blanchard | 2.6% | 26,705 | |
Democratic | Niki Bird Papazoglakis | 2.1% | 21,885 | |
Libertarian | Scott Lewis | 1.2% | 12,528 | |
Independent | Robert Lang, Jr. | 0.9% | 9,109 | |
Independent | Ron Caesar | 0.8% | 8,179 | |
Independent | Leonard Bollingham | 0.5% | 5,242 | |
Total Votes | 1,023,163 | |||
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State |
Governor of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2007 | ||||
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Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | Bobby Jindal | 53.9% | 699,275 | |
Democratic | Walter J Boasso | 17.5% | 226,476 | |
Nonpartisan | John Georges | 14.4% | 186,682 | |
Democratic | Foster Campbell | 12.5% | 161,665 | |
Democratic | Mary Volentine Smith | 0.5% | 5,868 | |
Independent | B. Alexandrenko | 0.4% | 4,791 | |
Independent | Anthony "Tony G" Gentile | 0.3% | 3,372 | |
Libertarian | T. Lee Horne III | 0.2% | 2,648 | |
Nonpartisan | Sheldon Forest | 0.2% | 2,323 | |
Democratic | M.V. "Vinny" Mendoza | 0.2% | 2,080 | |
Democratic | Hardy Parkerson | 0.1% | 1,666 | |
Nonpartisan | Arthur D. "Jim" Nichols | 0.1% | 994 | |
Total Votes | 1,297,840 | |||
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State |
Governor of Louisiana, General Election, 2003 | ||||
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Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Democratic | Kathleen Blanco | 51.9% | 731,358 | |
Republican | Bobby Jindal | 48.1% | 676,484 | |
Total Votes | 1,407,842 | |||
Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State |
The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019.
Presidential voting pattern
Congressional delegation
State executives
State legislature
Louisiana Party Control: 1992-2021
Eight years of Democratic trifectas • Five years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
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Demographic data for Louisiana | ||
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Louisiana | U.S. | |
Total population: | 4,668,960 | 316,515,021 |
Land area (sq mi): | 43,204 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White: | 62.8% | 73.6% |
Black/African American: | 32.1% | 12.6% |
Asian: | 1.7% | 5.1% |
Native American: | 0.6% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
Two or more: | 1.8% | 3% |
Hispanic/Latino: | 4.7% | 17.1% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate: | 83.4% | 86.7% |
College graduation rate: | 22.5% | 29.8% |
Income | ||
Median household income: | $45,047 | $53,889 |
Persons below poverty level: | 23.3% | 11.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Louisiana. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
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State of Louisiana Baton Rouge (capital) | |
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