2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election


The 2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held to elect the governor of Louisiana. Incumbent Democratic governor John Bel Edwards won re-election to a second term, defeating Republican businessman Eddie Rispone. Edwards became the first Democratic governor of Louisiana to win re-election to a second consecutive term in 44 years since Edwin Edwards in 1975. It was the closest Louisiana gubernatorial election since 1979. This was the only Democratic-held governorship up for election in 2019 that Donald Trump won in the 2016 presidential election, and was the only statewide victory in 2019 for Democrats in Louisiana.
Under Louisiana's jungle primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot, regardless of party, and voters may vote for any candidate regardless of their party affiliation. Because no candidate received an absolute majority of the vote during the primary election on October 12, 2019, a runoff election was held on November 16, 2019, between the top two candidates in the primary, Edwards and Rispone. Louisiana is the only state that has a jungle primary system.
As of 2025, this remains the last time that a Democrat has won a statewide election in Louisiana, and the last time that a Democrat won a gubernatorial election in the Deep South.

Background

On Edwards’ Inauguration Day in 2016, State House Republicans, in a break with tradition, elected their own speaker, Representative Taylor Barras of New Iberia, over Edwards' choice, Representative Walt Leger of New Orleans. This move was said to be orchestrated by House Republican chairman Lance Harris, who was considered a potential gubernatorial 2019 candidate and was a frequent Edwards critic. Edwards and Republican Legislative leaders repeatedly clashed over budget, tax and spending measures.
Attorney General Jeff Landry, who won Louisiana’s governorship in 2023 when Edwards was term-limited, was perhaps Edwards' most prominent detractor, filing multiple lawsuits against the governor and frequently criticizing him in the media. The two disagreed the most on social policies, such as Landry's staunch opposition to Edwards' executive order providing protections for LGBT workers of state government and contractors. Landry also assumed the leadership of David Vitter's Political Action Committee, the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority, the organisation that was widely considered instrumental to Clay Higgins' upset Congressional victory over Scott Angelle in 2016. Landry has closely aligned with President Donald Trump and attended Trump's 2017 State of the Union speech.
Edwards also become a favorite target of U.S. representative Garret Graves, a Republican from Baton Rouge and former aide to Governor Bobby Jindal. Graves frequently criticized the governor during the state's response to the 2016 August floods in the state. The two notably sparred during a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, of which Graves is a member. Edwards' aides called the exchange a "political ambush" while Graves accused the governor of lying. Graves was also closely aligned with the Trump Administration and donated $300 to the 2017 Trump Inaugural fund. Graves also accompanied Vice President Mike Pence during a visit to parts of the Baton Rouge area in May 2017.
As the only Democratic governor in the Deep South, Edwards and his agenda also been the target of numerous attacks from numerous groups affiliated with the national Republican Party such as America Rising and Americans for Prosperity. Edwards, declared himself to be unbothered by these groups, and went on to classify them as "a Washington, D.C., political action committee, trying to bring the never-ending campaign cycle to Louisiana."
Aware of their gubernatorial ambitions, Edwards and his aides repeatedly spoofed both U.S. senator John Neely Kennedy and Landry during their traditional response skits at Baton Rouge's Gridiron Show.
According to fundraising reports filed in 2016, Edwards had raised close to $3.3 million for his 2019 re-election effort. By comparison, Landry had $544,000 on hand for a potential future campaign. Graves and Kennedy had yet to form separate entities for statewide campaigns per Louisiana Law.
In the summer of 2017, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser announced that he would not be a candidate for governor in 2019, and had decided to run for re-election. Nungesser said that he had disclosed his plans to run for re-election to then Governor-elect John Bel Edwards during his transition period. During the fall of 2017, U.S. representative Ralph Abraham was reported to be running polls and assembling a staff to enter the race.

Democratic candidates

Advanced to the runoff

Defeated in the jungle primary

Disqualified

Republican candidates

Advanced to the runoff

  • Eddie Rispone, construction executive and former chair of the Louisiana Workforce Investment Council

Defeated in the jungle primary

Declined

Disqualified

  • Patrick Douget
  • Manuel Russell Leach, contractor

Independents

Defeated in jungle primary

  • Gary Landrieu, businessman and perennial candidate

Declined

Jungle primary

Polling

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Ralph
Abraham 		Eddie
Rispone 		OtherUndecided
Market Research InsightOctober 8–10, 2019600 ± 4.0%52%17%22%–8%
The Trafalgar Group October 8–10, 20191,070 ± 2.9%48%23%25%4%–
Data for Progress October 4–10, 20191,525 ± 3.4%48%22%26%3%–
Spry Strategies October 8–9, 2019700 ± 3.7%39%26%25%–10%
JMC Analytics October 5–8, 2019600 ± 4.0%45%20%21%6%8%
Remington October 7, 2019––42%22%22%–7%
Causeway Solutions October 7, 2019––46%23%20%–11%
Emerson CollegeOctober 4–7, 2019467 ± 4.5%48%19%25%8%–
Market Research InsightOctober 1–7, 2019600 ± 4.0%51%19%19%0%11%
JMC Analytics October 3–5, 2019600 ± 4.0%47%19%22%4%8%
Mason-DixonOctober 1–4, 2019625 ± 4.0%45%17%22%6%10%
We Ask America September 24–26, 2019600 ± 3.99%47%17%23%2%11%
Remington September 25, 20191,040± 2.9%47%22%20%3%8%
JMC Analytics September 19–21, 2019550 ± 4.2%46%18%21%4%12%
JMC Analytics September 14–17, 2019–± 3.8%41%24%16%4%16%
Remington September 10–11, 20191,144 ± 2.9%45%27%19%3%6%
Southern Media & Opinion ResearchSeptember 3–6, 2019500 ± 4.4%47%24%16%0%13%
Market Research InsightAugust 13–16, 2019600 ± 4.0%52%25%19%4%0%
Multi-QuestJuly 19–21, 2019601 ± 4.0%44%35%6%5%10%
Remington June 1–2, 20191,471 ± 2.6%42%34%8%–16%
JMC Analytics April 25–29, 2019650 ± 3.8%38%23%7%–32%
Market Research InsightApril 9–11, 2019600 ± 4.1%46%17%5%–32%
Remington March 13–14, 20191,464 ± 2.6%44%33%10%–13%
LJR Custom Strategies January 14–27, 2019600 –45%17%4%1%32%
Remington December 11–12, 20181,680 ± 2.4%43%31%9%–17%

with John Kennedy

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Ralph
Abraham 		John
Kennedy 		Jeff
Landry 		Eddie
Rispone 		Undecided
SurveyUSA October 15–21, 2018605 ± 4.9%36%6%30%8%4%18%
SurveyUSA October 15–21, 2018605 ± 4.9%35%–38%–5%21%
Remington September 11–12, 20181,615 ± 2.5%40%8%37%–3%12%
SurveyUSA June 19–22, 2018600 ± 4.8%35%8%35%––22%

Jungle primary results

According to the Louisiana Secretary of State more than 384,000 early votes were cast, a significant increase from the 2015 gubernatorial election in which 234,000 early votes were cast.

Runoff

Polling

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Eddie
Rispone 		Undecided
The Trafalgar Group November 13–15, 20191,107 ± 2.9%49%51%0%
Data for ProgressOctober 29 – November 14, 20191,434 ± 2.6%50.2%49.8%0%
JMC Analytics November 12–13, 2019600 ± 4.0%47%46%7%
Targoz Market ResearchNovember 7–13, 2019640 –50%46%4%
Edgwater Research/My People VoteNovember 11, 2019661 ± 3.8%49%49%2%
Cygnal November 7–9, 2019800 ± 3.5%50%48%2%
Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc.November 5–7, 2019625 ± 4.0%48%46%6%
Edgewater Research/My People VoteOctober 28, 2019722 ± 3.6%50%47%3%
JMC Analytics October 24–26, 2019600 ± 4.0%50%47%4%
We Ask America October 14–16, 2019600 ± 4.0%47%47%6%
Spry Strategies October 8–9, 2019700 ± 3.7%41%45%14%
JMC Analytics October 5–8, 2019600 ± 4.0%48%39%13%
Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc.October 1–4, 2019625 ± 4.0%51%42%7%
ALG Research September 30 – October 3, 2019900 –52%36%–
Remington September 10–11, 20191,144 ± 2.9%49%44%7%
Market Research InsightAugust 13–16, 2019600 ± 4.0%55%45%0%
Multi-QuestJuly 19–21, 2019601 ± 4.0%49%29%22%
Remington June 1–2, 20191,471 ± 2.6%49%38%13%
JMC Analytics April 25–29, 2019650 ± 3.8%41%28%31%
Market Research InsightApril 9–11, 2019600 ± 4.1%47%23%30%
Remington March 13–14, 20191,464 ± 2.6%48%42%10%
LJR Custom Strategies January 14–27, 2019600 –47%19%–
Remington December 11–12, 20181,680 ± 2.4%46%39%15%
SurveyUSA October 15–21, 2018605 ± 4.9%47%33%19%
Remington September 11–12, 20181,615 ± 2.5%52%29%19%

with Ralph Abraham

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Ralph
Abraham 		Undecided
Spry Strategies October 8–9, 2019700 ± 3.7%43%45%12%
JMC Analytics October 5–8, 2019600 ± 4.0%47%37%16%
Mason-DixonOctober 1–4, 2019625 ± 4.0%53%38%9%
Remington September 10–11, 20191,144 ± 2.9%48%44%8%
Market Research InsightAugust 13–16, 2019600 ± 4.0%53%47%0%
Multi-QuestJuly 19–21, 2019601 ± 4.0%49%39%11%
Remington June 1–2, 20191,471 ± 2.6%45%45%10%
JMC Analytics April 25–29, 2019650 ± 3.8%40%36%24%
Market Research InsightApril 9–11, 2019600 ± 4.1%45%28%27%
Remington March 13–14, 20191,464 ± 2.6%47%45%8%
LJR Custom Strategies January 14–27, 2019600 –47%27%–
Remington December 11–12, 20181,680 ± 2.4%44%44%12%
SurveyUSA October 15–21, 2018605 ± 4.9%45%37%18%
Remington September 11–12, 20181,615 ± 2.5%48%35%17%
Mason-DixonFebruary 20–22, 2018625 ± 4.0%51%28%21%

with John Kennedy

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		John
Kennedy 		Undecided
Southern Media & Opinion ResearchNovember 16–21, 2018500± 4.4%45%49%6%
SurveyUSA October 15–21, 2018605 ± 4.9%39%48%14%
Remington September 11–12, 20181,615 ± 2.5%43%47%10%
SurveyUSA June 19–22, 2018600 ± 4.8%37%51%–
Mason-DixonFebruary 20–22, 2018625 ± 4.0%45%44%11%

with Jeff Landry

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Jeff
Landry 		Undecided
SurveyUSA October 15–21, 2018605 ± 4.9%44%39%17%

with Steve Scalise

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Steve
Scalise 		Undecided
Market Research InsightApril 9–11, 2019600 ± 4.1%45%26%29%
Mason-DixonFebruary 20–22, 2018625 ± 4.0%46%43%11%

with Generic Opponent

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		John Bel
Edwards 		Generic
Opponent		Undecided
Remington Research Group/Abraham for GovernorJune 1–2, 20191,471 ± 2.6%42%48%10%
Market Research InsightApr 9–11, 2019600 ± 4.1%36%42%22%
SurveyUSA June 19–22, 2018600 ± 4.8%35%–65%

Results

Parishes that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Despite losing the state, Rispone won five of six congressional districts.
DistrictBel EdwardsRisponeRepresentative
45%55%Steve Scalise
84%16%Cedric Richmond
40%60%Clay Higgins
45%55%Mike Johnson
45%55%Ralph Abraham
49%51%Garret Graves