Democrat Edwards elected governor of Louisiana

Democrat John Bel Edwards of Amite was elected the next Louisiana Governor by collecting approximately 56 percent of the vote in a runoff election with Republican David Vitter of Metairie Saturday. But he came into the general…

As he campaigned, Edwards said he wanted to unlock budget protections that keep a few areas of the budget shielded from cuts, expand the state’s Medicaid program to help cover a few health care costs and scale back tax break programs.

Each runoff contender sought to tie his opponent to an unpopular figure in Louisiana: Edwards claimed Vitter would represent a “Jindal third term”, while Vitter tagged Edwards as an “Obama liberal”.

The biggest factor in the outcome was probably Vitter’s troubled past-not enough to dislodge him, as an incumbent, from the Senate, but a tough hurdle to overcome in a state that has only recently started to clean up political corruption (thanks in large part to outgoing Gov. Bobby Jindal).

However, he acknowledged the Vitter loss was “disappointing”.

In so many respects, John Bel Edwards was the flawless candidate at the ideal time for Louisiana Democrats. Vitter has previously drawn allegations of ethics violations, as well as his involvement in a massive D.C. prostitution scandal in 2007 and the revelation his campaign was spying on one of Edwards’ major donors this fall.

Vitter’s emphasis on Syrian refugees not only failed to propel him to victory, it didn’t allow him to unite Republicans.

Edwards’ victory speech followed Vitter’s concession, in which Vitter announced that he had phoned Edwards to offer his congratulations.

Democrats were ecstatic as Edwards defied expectations that only a Republican could win statewide in Louisiana. Each of the 50 states is led by a governor, and when Edwards takes office he will be one of 18 Democrats in that office, along with 31 Republican governors and one independent. David Vitter in Saturday’s election, marking a change in the political landscape in the conservative South.

Edwards, who began his gubernatorial bid as a little-known lawmaker from rural Tangipahoa Parish, responded to the spike in Vitter’s disapproval ratings with a campaign built on personal integrity, a resume that includes a West Point degree and a tenure as an Army Ranger, and pledges that he’d run a moderate administration built on bipartisanship. Two potential candidates who have already ruled themselves out are Governor Bobby Jindal, who said shortly after withdrawing from the race for President that he had no interest in running for Senate if Vitter won yesterday, and former Senator Mary Landrieu, who ruled out an attempt at a comeback earlier this year.

Republicans said they will keep control of the Legislature.

Edwards painted the race as a referendum on Vitter’s character and suggested the senator didn’t measure up in such a competition.

“I love our great state and it’s wonderful people”, said Edwards to a crowd at his campaign headquarters. Charles Boustany and John Fleming. It quickly became clear, though, that what Vitter meant that he would not run for re-election but would still serve out the remainder of his term, meaning that Louisiana will have an open seat election next year. Two other Republicans on the statewide ballot beat their Democratic challengers handily, each drawing 100,000 more Republican votes than Vitter did, according to the secretary of state’s website.