2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election

← 2015 October 12, 2019 (first round) November 16, 2019 (runoff) 2023 →
Turnout	45.9% (first round) 51.0% (runoff)
Candidate John Bel Edwards Eddie Rispone Ralph Abraham Party Democratic Republican Republican First round 625,970 46.59% 368,319 27.42% 317,149 23.61% Runoff 774,498 51.33% 734,286 48.67% Eliminated
Edwards:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Rispone:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Abraham:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Landrieu:     50–60% Tie:     30–40%     40–50%     50%     No votesFirst round parish results Edwards:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Rispone:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Abraham:     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Landrieu:     50–60% Tie:     30–40%     40–50%     50%     No votesFirst round precinct results Edwards:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Rispone:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Tie:     50%     No votesRunoff parish results Edwards:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Rispone:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Tie:     50%     No votesRunoff congressional district results Edwards:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Rispone:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Tie:     50%     No votesRunoff precinct results
Governor before election John Bel Edwards Democratic Elected Governor John Bel Edwards Democratic

The2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held to elect thegovernor of Louisiana. IncumbentDemocratic governorJohn Bel Edwards won re-election to a second term, defeatingRepublican businessmanEddie Rispone. Edwards became the first Democratic governor of Louisiana to win re-election to a second consecutive term in 44 years sinceEdwin Edwards (no relation) in1975. It was the closest Louisiana gubernatorial election since1979. This was the only Democratic-held governorship up for election in 2019 thatDonald Trump won in the2016 presidential election, and was the only statewide victory in 2019 for Democrats in Louisiana.

Under Louisiana'sjungle 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.^[1] Louisiana is the only state that has a jungle primary system (California andWashington have a similartop two 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 theDeep South.

On Edwards’ Inauguration Day in 2016,State House Republicans, in a break with tradition, elected their own speaker, RepresentativeTaylor Barras of New Iberia, over Edwards' choice, RepresentativeWalt Leger of New Orleans. This move was said to be orchestrated by House Republican chairmanLance Harris, who was considered a potential gubernatorial 2019 candidate and was a frequent Edwards critic.^[2] Edwards and Republican Legislative leaders repeatedly clashed over budget, tax and spending measures.

Attorney GeneralJeff 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 forLGBT workers of state government and contractors.^[3] Landry also assumed the leadership ofDavid Vitter's Political Action Committee, the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority,^[4] the organisation that was widely considered instrumental toClay Higgins' upset Congressional victory overScott Angelle in 2016.^[5] Landry has closely aligned withPresidentDonald Trump and attended Trump's 2017State of the Union speech.^[6]

Edwards also become a favorite target of U.S. representativeGarret Graves, aRepublican from Baton Rouge and former aide to GovernorBobby 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 theHouse 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.^[7] Graves was also closely aligned with theTrump Administration and donated $300 to the2017 Trump Inaugural fund.^[8] Graves also accompaniedVice PresidentMike Pence during a visit to parts of the Baton Rouge area in May 2017.^[9]

As the onlyDemocratic governor in the Deep South, Edwards and his agenda also been the target of numerous attacks from numerous groups affiliated with the nationalRepublican Party such as America Rising andAmericans for Prosperity.^[10] 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."^[10]

Aware of their gubernatorial ambitions, Edwards and his aides repeatedly spoofed both U.S. senatorJohn Neely Kennedy and Landry during their traditional response skits at Baton Rouge's Gridiron Show.^[11]

According to fundraising reports filed in 2016, Edwards had raised close to $3.3 million for his 2019 re-election effort.^[12][13] By comparison, Landry had $544,000 on hand for a potential future campaign.^[13] Graves and Kennedy had yet to form separate entities for statewide campaigns per Louisiana Law.

In the summer of 2017, Lieutenant GovernorBilly 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. representativeRalph Abraham was reported to be running polls and assembling a staff to enter the race.

• John Bel Edwards, incumbentgovernor of Louisiana^[14][15]

• Oscar Dantzler, former police officer and businessman^[16]

• Vinny Mendoza, perennial candidate^[17][18]

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

• Ralph Abraham, U.S. representative forLouisiana's 5th congressional district^[19]
• Patrick Landry, artist and perennial candidate

• Bret Allain, state senator^[20]
• Conrad Appel, state senator^[20]
• Charles Boustany, former U.S. representative forLouisiana's 3rd congressional district and former U.S. representative forLouisiana's 7th congressional district^[21]
• John Fleming, former U.S. representative forLouisiana's 4th congressional district^[22]
• Garret Graves, incumbent U.S. representative forLouisiana's 6th congressional district^[23]
• Lance Harris, state representative and chairman of the Louisiana House Republican Caucus^[24]
• Troy Hebert, former ATC Commissioner and state senator^[25]
• Cameron Henry, state representative^[26]
• Sharon Hewitt, state senator^[27]
• John Kennedy, incumbentU.S. senator^[28]
• Jeff Landry,attorney general of Louisiana^[29]
• Billy Nungesser, incumbentlieutenant governor of Louisiana^[30]
• Steve Scalise, incumbent U.S. representative forLouisiana's 1st congressional district^[31]
• John Schroder,Louisiana State Treasurer^[32]
• Alan Seabaugh, state representative^[26]
• Eric Skrmetta,Louisiana Public Service Commissioner^[21]

• Patrick Douget^[18]
• Manuel Russell Leach, contractor^[18]

• Gary Landrieu, businessman and perennial candidate^[33]

• John Georges, businessman and candidate for governor of Louisiana in2007^[34]

According to theLouisiana Secretary of State more than 384,000^[95] early votes were cast, a significant increase from the 2015 gubernatorial election in which 234,000^[96] early votes were cast.

Margin swing by parish

Legend

•   Democratic—+10-15%
•   Democratic—+5-10%
•   Democratic—+<5%
•   Republican—+<5%
•   Republican—+5-10%
•   Republican—+10-15%
•   Republican—+15-20%
•   Republican—+20-25%
•   Republican—+25-30%
•   Republican—+30-35%
•   Republican—+35-40%
•   Republican—+>40%

Parish flips

Legend

• Democratic   Hold

  Republican   Hold   Gain from Democratic

• Allen (largest city:Oakdale)
• Ascension (largest city:Prairieville)
• Avoyelles (largest city:Marksville)
• Calcasieu (largest city:Lake Charles)
• Claiborne (largest city:Homer)
• Concordia (largest city:Vidalia)
• De Soto (largest city:Mansfield)
• Evangeline (largest city:Ville Platte)
• Jefferson Davis (largest city:Jennings)
• Lincoln (largest city:Ruston)
• Rapides (largest city:Alexandria)
• St. Martin (largest city:Breaux Bridge)
• St. Mary (largest city:Morgan City)
• Washington (largest city:Bogalusa)
• Webster (largest city:Minden)

Despite losing the state, Rispone won five of six congressional districts.^[118]

• 2019 Louisiana elections

Partisan clients

Additional candidates and polling key

Official campaign websites (archived)

• John Bel Edwards (D) for Governor
• Eddie Rispone (R) for Governor

• Louisiana gubernatorial elections
• 2019 United States gubernatorial elections
• 2019 Louisiana elections
• October 2019 in the United States

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