Politics

Louisiana Governor's Race Ends With Blow To Republicans

Governor John Bel Edwards won the gubernatorial race against Republican Eddie Rispone on Saturday, earning 51% of votes.

Louisiana Governor's Race Ends With Blow To Republicans
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"You know, this administration began with a breeze of hope. Hope that by working together as Louisianans first and foremost, not as Republicans or Democrats — we could make Louisiana the state that we want it to be. And with every step forward, we turn that hope into action and that is exactly what we're going to continue to do in our second term," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. 

Edwards won the runoff election in the gubernatorial race against Republican Eddie Rispone on Saturday by a slim margin, earning just over 51% of votes. Edwards will start a second term as the only Democratic governor in the Deep South.

Republicans have been working hard to reclaim Louisiana's governor seat. President Trump even held a rally in Bossier City, Louisiana Thursday to show support for Rispone. 

But Rispone's loss has some wondering whether a President Trump endorsement is helpful or not. Rispone is similar to the president, as he is also a prominent businessman who calls himself a "conservative outsider." 

Rispone is the second gubernatorial candidate to lose an election after the president's endorsement. President Trump previously endorsed Kentucky's Republican incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin, who lost to Democrat Andy Beshear.

After learning the results, Rispone said the loss still showed that people in Louisiana wanted new direction. He said, "We have nothing to be ashamed of. We had over 700,000 people in Louisiana who really want something better, something different."

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.