2015 Louisiana gubernatorial election


The 2015 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held on November 21, 2015, to elect the governor of Louisiana. Incumbent Republican governor Bobby Jindal was not eligible to run for re-election to a third term because of term limits established by the Louisiana Constitution.
Under Louisiana's jungle primary system, all candidates appeared on the same ballot, regardless of party and voters may vote for any candidate regardless of their party affiliation. As no candidate received a majority of the vote during the primary election on October 24, 2015, a runoff election was held on November 21, 2015, between the top two candidates in the primary. Louisiana is the only state that has a jungle primary system.
The runoff election featured Democrat John Bel Edwards, Minority Leader of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and Republican U.S. senator David Vitter, as they were the top two vote getters in the primary. Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne and Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, both Republicans, were eliminated in the jungle primary.
In the November 21, 2015 runoff, Edwards defeated Vitter by a count of 56.11% to 43.89% and was sworn in on January 11, 2016. This was the only statewide victory in 2015 for Democrats in Louisiana, and was the first time Democrats won a statewide election in the state since Mary Landrieu won her third term in the U.S. Senate in 2008. Edward’s victory also came one year after national wins for the Republican Party in congressional and state elections, including Landrieu’s failed 2014 re-election bid. This was the first election since 1968 that a Democratic candidate for governor won during a Democratic presidency. The election was one of the most expensive in state history, with over $50 million spent by the candidates and outside groups.

Candidates

Republican Party

Filed

Declined

Democratic Party

Filed

Declined

Ineligible

  • Edwin Edwards, former governor, U.S. representative and state senator

Independents

Filed

  • Beryl Billiot, restaurant owner and former Marine
  • Jeremy Odom, minister
  • Eric Paul Orgeron

Declined

Jungle primary

Polling

  • * Internal poll for the John Kennedy campaign
  • ** Internal poll for the John Bel Edwards campaign
  • ^ Internal poll for the Jay Dardenne campaign

Runoff

Campaign

A debate between Edwards and Vitter was held on November 10 by Louisiana Public Broadcasting and the Council for a Better Louisiana.
Early voting was possible from November 7 until November 14. Despite having one fewer day due to Veterans Day, turnout was significantly higher compared to the primary election early voting, especially among black voters and in urban parishes.

Debates

  • , November 10, 2015

Polling

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		David
Vitter 		John Bel
Edwards 		Undecided
JMC AnalyticsNovember 19, 2015614± 3.9%43%47%10%
RRH ElectionsNovember 12–16, 2015359± 5%42%48%10%
JMC AnalyticsNovember 14–16, 2015635± 3.9%35%51%13%
JMC AnalyticsNovember 14–16, 2015635± 4%38%54%8%
Market Research InsightNovember 11–14, 2015600± 4%38%53%9%
Hayride/MarblePortNovember 11, 2015978± 3.1%42%48%10%
Market Research InsightNovember 11, 2015600± 4%38%52%10%
UNO Survey Research CenterNovember 2–8, 2015600± 4%34%56%10%
Triumph CampaignsNovember 5, 20151,818± 3%41%49%10%
WVLA/JMC AnalyticsOctober 28–31, 2015600± 4%32%52%16%
Market Research InsightOctober 27–28, 2015600± 4.1%38%54%8%
Anzalone Liszt GroveOctober 26–28, 2015700± 3.7%40%52%7%
KPLC/Raycom MediaOctober 7–13, 2015602± 4%33%52%?%
The Advocate/WWL-TVSeptember 20–23, 2015800± 3.46%41%45%?%
Public Policy PollingSeptember 21–22, 2015616± 4%38%50%12%
Public Policy PollingSeptember 25–28, 20141,141± 2.9%50%32%18%
Public Policy PollingJune 26–29, 2014664± 3.8%52%30%17%
The Kitchen Group*February 10–12, 2014600± 4.2%38%32%31%
Public Policy PollingFebruary 6–9, 2014635± 3.9%51%30%19%

*Internal poll for the John Bel Edwards campaign
Dardenne vs. Landrieu

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		Jay
Dardenne 		Mitch
Landrieu 		Undecided
Public Policy PollingSeptember 25–28, 20141,141± 2.9%43%39%18%
Public Policy PollingJune 26–29, 2014664± 3.8%43%43%15%
Public Policy PollingFebruary 6–9, 2014635± 3.9%46%36%18%
Public Policy PollingAugust 16–19, 2013721± 3.6%35%45%20%
Public Policy PollingFebruary 8–12, 2013603± 4%42%44%15%

Duke vs. Edwards

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		David
Duke 		Edwin
Edwards 		Undecided
Public Policy PollingFebruary 8–12, 2013603± 4%15%62%23%

Vitter vs. Landrieu

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin of
error		David
Vitter 		Mitch
Landrieu 		Undecided
SM&O ResearchApril 28–30, 2014600± ?52.8%41.8%5.5%
Gravis MarketingNovember 12–14, 2014643± 4%54%36%10%
Public Policy PollingSeptember 25–28, 20141,141± 2.9%47%38%14%
Gravis MarketingSeptember 5–9, 2014426± 5%46%44%11%
Public Policy PollingJune 26–29, 2014664± 3.8%48%44%8%
Public Policy PollingFebruary 6–9, 2014635± 3.9%50%37%13%
Public Policy PollingAugust 16–19, 2013721± 3.6%42%45%14%
Harper PollingAugust 14–15, 2013596± 4.01%45%43%12%
Public Policy PollingFebruary 8–12, 2013603± 4%44%44%13%
Magellan StrategiesOctober 2–4, 20122,862± 1.9%45.2%39.8%15%

Results

Edwards' win was the first statewide win for Democrats in Louisiana since Mary Landrieu won a third term to the Senate in 2008. He performed surprisingly well for a Democratic candidate in Louisiana, given that the Cook PVI for the state was R+12 at the time of the election and most Republican candidates won in landslides in prior statewide elections. He performed especially well in Caddo Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish,, and in the reliably Democratic Orleans Parish,. Turnout was slightly higher in the November run-off than in the October jungle primary.

By congressional district

Edwards won five of six congressional districts, including four that were represented by Republicans.
DistrictVitterEdwardsRepresentative
1st57%43%Steve Scalise
2nd17%83%Cedric Richmond
3rd49.9%50.1%Charles Boustany
4th47%53%John Fleming
5th46%54%Ralph Abraham
6th46%54%Garret Graves