John Bel Edwards | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Edwards in 2021 | |
| 56thGovernor of Louisiana | |
| In office January 11, 2016 – January 8, 2024 | |
| Lieutenant | Billy Nungesser |
| Preceded by | Bobby Jindal |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Landry |
| Minority Leader of theLouisiana House of Representatives | |
| In office January 10, 2012 – December 10, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Jane Smith |
| Succeeded by | Gene Reynolds |
| Member of theLouisiana House of Representatives from the 72nd district | |
| In office January 14, 2008 – December 10, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Robby Carter |
| Succeeded by | Robby Carter |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1966-09-16)September 16, 1966 (age 59) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | United States Military Academy (BS) Louisiana State University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1988–1996 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 25th Infantry Division 82nd Airborne Division |
John Bel Edwards (born September 16, 1966) is an American politician, attorney, andArmy veteran who served as the 56thgovernor of Louisiana from 2016 to 2024. ASouthern Democrat, he previously served in theLouisiana House of Representatives from 2008 to 2015. Edwards represented parts of theFlorida Parishes and served asminority leader from 2012 to 2015.
Edwards graduated from theUnited States Military Academy in 1988 with aBachelor of Science in engineering and served in theUnited States Army as aninfantry officer for eight years. In 1996, he was honorably discharged with the rank ofCaptain. After leaving the Army, Edwards attended and graduated fromLSU Law. Following his tenure as alaw clerk to JudgeJames L. Dennis, he returned home toAmite and began his career as a lawyer in private practice.
First elected to the Louisiana House in2007, Edwards became Democratic minority leader in 2012. He defeatedRepublicanU.S. SenatorDavid Vitter in thesecond round of the2015 gubernatorial election, and became Louisiana governor in January 2016. During his first term, Edwards expanded protections forLGBTQ people in the workplace, enactedMedicaid expansion, signed legislation to reduce Louisiana'sprison population, and implemented asix-week abortion ban. He won a second term in2019, becoming the first Democrat to win reelection as governor of Louisiana sinceEdwin Edwards (no relation) in1975.[1] In his second term, Edwards was governor during theCOVID-19 pandemic, as well as duringHurricane Ida andHurricane Nicholas. He also signed legislation requiring public schools to display the national motto "In God We Trust" in classrooms. After leaving office in 2024, Edwards joined the New Orleans–based law firm Fishman Haygood LLP, where his practice focuses primarily on renewable energy litigation.[2][3]
Some political observers have described Edwards as aconservative Democrat.[4][5] Edwards has also been described as a moderate[6][7] and as a populist.[8] He is the most recent Democrat to win or hold statewide office in Louisiana.[9]
John Bel Edwards was born inEast Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, on September 16, 1966.[10] He was raised inAmite, Louisiana, the son of Dora Jean (née Miller) andTangipahoa ParishSheriff Frank M. Edwards, Jr. Born into an economically and politically well-established family in the parish, he graduated fromAmite High School in 1984 as valedictorian.[citation needed]
In 1988, Edwards received aBachelor of Science inengineering from theUnited States Military Academy, where he was on the Dean's List and served as vice chairman of the panel that enforced theWest Point honor code.[11]
Edwards completedAirborne School in 1986, while a student at West Point. After receiving his commission, he completed theInfantry Officer Basic Course atFort Benning in 1988,Ranger School in 1989, and the Infantry Officer Advanced Course in 1992.[citation needed]
Edwards served in theUnited States Army for eight years, mostly in the25th Infantry Division and82nd Airborne Division. He commanded a company in the 82nd's 3rd Brigade,505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Edwards ultimately ended his military career to return to Louisiana because of family considerations.[citation needed]
After leaving the Army, Edwards pursued a legal education atLouisiana State University'sPaul M. Hebert Law Center (LSU Law). He received hisJ.D. degree in 1999, and after graduation clerked for JudgeJames L. Dennis of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.[12]
Edwards went on to become a practicing attorney with the Edwards & Associates law firm in Amite.[13] He handled a variety of cases, but did not practice criminal law because his brother was the local sheriff.[11][better source needed] His nephew, Bradley Stevens, worked at the firm as a law partner.[14]
In 2007, Edwards ran for a seat in theLouisiana House of Representatives and was forced into a general electionrunoff with fellow attorney George Tucker.[15] Edwards won every parish in the district.[16] He was the only freshman lawmaker to chair a committee, the Veterans Affairs Committee, in the legislature. Edwards was also selected as chair of the Democratic House caucus, a rarity for a freshman legislator. Edwards criticizedGovernorBobby Jindal for his frequent trips away from Louisiana to raise funds for Republicans elsewhere while Louisiana had been reducing its funding for higher education.[citation needed]
In 2011, Edwards was reelected to the Louisiana House of Representatives, defeating Johnny Duncan, 83% to 17%.[17] He chaired the Louisiana House Democratic Caucus, making him the House Minority Leader.[18] Cities and towns that Edwards represented includedAmite,Greensburg, andKentwood as well as part ofHammond.
On February 21, 2013, Edwards announced his candidacy for governor in2015. He said that Louisiana needed "a healthy dose of common sense and compassion for ordinary people".[19] The only major Democrat in the race, Edwards polled first in the nonpartisan blanket primary with 444,517 votes (39.9%), followed byVitter, who finished second with 256,300 votes (23%). In third place wasLouisiana Public Service CommissionerScott Angelle ofBreaux Bridge, who received 214,982 votes (19.3%).[20]
A JMC Analytics poll before the primary showed Edwards with a nine-point lead over Vitter, 28% to 19%.[21] After the primary polls showed Edwards with a commanding lead. Market Research Insight pollster Verne Kennedy placed Edwards ahead, 54% to 38% or 51% to 40%, depending on the level of turnout amongAfrican-American voters, 25% or 20%.[22]
Edwards won the November 21 runoff with 56.1% of the vote.[23]The New York Times noted that the gubernatorial race was one "that many other Democrats once considered hopeless" early in the cycle.[24]
In2019, Edwards ran for reelection to a second term as governor. In the runoff election, he faced Republican businessmanEddie Rispone. As Louisiana voted overwhelmingly forDonald Trump in the2016 election, the race drew national attention after Trump visited the state multiple times on Rispone's behalf.[25]
Edwards ultimately defeated Rispone, 51.33% to 48.67%. His victory made him the first Democratic governor of Louisiana to be elected to a second consecutive term in over four decades, sinceEdwin Edwards in1975.[26]
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Some political observers have described Edwards as aconservative Democrat.[27][5] Edwards has also been described as a moderate[28][29] and as a populist.[30] In December 2018, Matt Malone, S.J., ofAmerica stated that Edwards held "progressive views on economics", a "commitment to a strong social safety net", and "moderate views on some social issues", adding that he is "anti-abortion, pro-Second Amendment, [and] pro-L.G.B.T. civil rights..."[31]
On his inauguration day, Edwards failed to persuade the majority-Republican Louisiana House to choose a Democrat,Walt Leger III ofNew Orleans, asSpeaker. On the second ballot, after RepublicanCameron Henry, an ally of Vitter, withdrew from consideration, a second Republican,Taylor Barras ofNew Iberia, was named Speaker. SinceHuey Long, governors had traditionally handpicked the state house speakers. Barras's selection was considered a surprise because he had not been mentioned as a candidate until the voting started.[32]
On April 13, 2016, Edwards signed anexecutive order to protectlesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from harassment or job dismissals. The order prohibits state agencies from discrimination based on either gender identity orsexual orientation. The order allows an exception for religious organizations that claim that compliance would violate their religious beliefs. "We respect our fellow citizens for their beliefs, but we do not discriminate based on our disagreements. I believe in giving every Louisianan the opportunity to be successful and to thrive in our state", Edwards said.[33]
Edwards also rescinded another executive order issued in 2015 by his predecessor,Bobby Jindal, which protected businesses and nonprofit organizations that opposesame-sex marriage from being legally punished for acting on those views. This order had prohibited state agencies from penalizing businesses and individuals who refuse or limit service because of a "religious belief that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman."[34]
In 2016, Edwards enactedMedicaid expansion. By the next year, the number of Louisianans withouthealth insurance was cut in half (11.4%, down from 22.7%).[35] According to a study conducted by LSU's E.J. Ourso College of Business, Edwards's Medicaid expansion made over 500,000 more adults eligible for Medicaid, of whom 327,000 were uninsured.[36]
Edwards promised early in 2017 that he could work with the incomingDonald Trump administration. He expressed eagerness to work with theTrump Cabinet, particularly on Medicaid expansion and federalinfrastructure projects.[37]
In January 2017, Edwards traveled toItaly on a personal trip to discuss ways to combathuman trafficking. He traveled with members of theHospitaller Sisters of Mercy, who established a shelter in Baton Rouge for child victims of human trafficking. Edwards met withPope Francis during the trip.[38][39]
Edwards campaigned on a policy to reduce Louisiana's prison population.[40] One of his first actions as governor was to commute 22 sentences out of 56 that the state's Board of Pardons had identified for him.[40] Since the end of 2016 and to July 2018, Edwards did not sign a singlecommutation despite at least 70 cases that the state's Board of Pardons identified for him during the period.[40] In 2018, Edwards signed legislation that shortened the sentences for nonviolent, non-sex-crime offenders who showed good behavior while in prison.[41]
In May 2018, Edwards signed a bill into law banningabortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.[42][43] In May 2019, he signed an even more restrictivesix-week abortion ban, although a similar bill in the5th Circuit, one with a similar predecessor, was blocked by JudgeCarlton Reeves in the Southern District of Mississippi.[44][45][46] In response to backlash from his more progressive supporters, Edwards released a statement saying, "As governor, I have been true to my word and my beliefs on this issue. But it is also my sincere belief that being pro-life means more than just being pro-birth." He referenced his attempts to expand investment in education, reform Louisiana's criminal justice system, pass laws to protect LGBT citizens from discrimination in the workplace, raise the minimum wage, and ensure equal pay for men and women.[47][better source needed]
On May 22, 2018, Edwards signed an executive order requiring state vendors to certify that they arenot boycotting Israel and will not for the duration of the contractboycott Israel. In 2019, the bill HB 245 was enacted, codifying the executive order.[48] The Copy, Paste, Legislate investigation found that Edwards did not write the executive order nor the press release accompanying it. Instead, they were sent to him by a person with ties toAIPAC and the Israel Action Network.[49]
In late 2018, Edwards said that his top priority for 2019 was to achieve a $1,000 pay raise for teachers and a $500 raise for school support workers. For the first time in 10 years, the House passed a budget that included pay raises for teachers and support staff.[50][51]
On September 8, 2021, Edwards delayed all upcoming Louisiana elections five weeks after excessive statewide infrastructure damage caused byHurricane Ida.[52] On September 12, 2021, less than two weeks after Ida crested, Edwards declared another statewide state of emergency in anticipation ofHurricane Nicholas.[53] On January 5, 2022, Edwards pardonedHomer Plessy, subject of the 1896U.S. Supreme Court casePlessy v. Ferguson, which upheld segregation laws.[54]
In 2023, Edwards signed HB8, which requires public schools to display the national motto "In God We Trust" in classrooms.[55]
| The Edwards Cabinet[56][57][58] | ||
|---|---|---|
| OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
| Governor | John Bel Edwards | 2016–2024 |
| Chief of Staff | Ben Nevers Mark Cooper | 2016-2017 2017–2024 |
| Commissioner of Administration | Jay Dardenne | 2016–2024 |
| Executive Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Activities, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board Chairman | Chip Kline | 2019–present |
| Secretary of Economic Development | Don Pierson | 2016–2024 |
| Secretary of Environmental Quality | Dr. Chuck Brown | 2016–2024 |
| Director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness | Jim Waskom | 2016–2024 |
| Secretary of Health | Dr.Rebekah Gee | 2016–2020 |
| Courtney N. Phillips | 2020–2024 | |
| Executive Director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission | Ava Dejoie | 2016–2024 |
| Secretary of Public Safety and Corrections | Jimmy LeBlanc | 2008–present |
| Secretary of Revenue | Kimberly Lewis Robinson | 2016–2024 |
| Secretary of Transportation and Development | Shawn Wilson | 2016–2023 |
| Superintendent of theLouisiana State Police | Colonel Michael "Mike" Edmonson | 2008–2017 |
| Colonel Kevin W. Reeves | 2017–2024 | |
| Secretary of Veterans Affairs | Joey Strickland | 2016–2024 |
| Secretary of Wildlife and Fisheries | Charlie Melançon | 2016–2017 |
| Jack Montoucet | 2017–2024 | |
| Secretary of Natural Resources | Thomas Harris | 2016–2024 |
| Secretary of Children and Family Services | Marketa Garner Walters | 2016–2024 |
Edwards is married to Donna Hutto.[59] She graduated from theUniversity of Southern Mississippi inHattiesburg with a business degree in industrial management before training as a teacher.[60] They have two daughters, Sarah and Samantha Edwards, and a son, John Miller Edwards.
Edwards is aCatholic[39] and a parishioner of the St. Helena Roman Catholic Church in Amite.[61]
Edwards is the brother ofIndependence, Louisiana, chief of police Frank Millard Edwards, as well asTangipahoa ParishSheriff Daniel H. Edwards. Edwards is brother-in-law to 21st Judicial District Court Juvenile Judge Blair Downing Edwards, a Republican. In 2011, one of Edwards's brothers, Christopher Edwards, died in a car crash after his vehicle veered into oncoming traffic and collided with a UPS truck.[62]
| Blanket primary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Democratic | John Bel Edwards | 6,142 | 44% | ||
| Democratic | George Tucker | 2,499 | 18% | ||
| Democratic | Michael "Mike" Jackson | 2,311 | 16% | ||
| Democratic | Walter Daniels | 1,979 | 14% | ||
| Democratic | Ivory Dyson | 1,088 | 8% | ||
| Total | 14,019 | 100% | |||
| Runoff | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Democratic | John Bel Edwards | 6,825 | 66% | ||
| Democratic | George Tucker | 3,541 | 34% | ||
| Total | 10,366 | 100% | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
| 2011 Louisiana House of Representatives 72nd district | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Democratic | John Bel Edwards (inc.) | 9,968 | 83% | ||
| No party | Johnny "I Can" Duncan | 2,032 | 17% | ||
| Total | 12,000 | 100% | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
| Blanket primary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Democratic | John Bel Edwards | 444,517 | 39.89% | ||
| Republican | David Vitter | 256,300 | 23.00% | ||
| Republican | Scott Angelle | 214,982 | 19.29% | ||
| Republican | Jay Dardenne | 166,656 | 14.96% | ||
| Democratic | Cary Deaton | 11,763 | 1.06% | ||
| Democratic | S. L. Simpson | 7,420 | 0.67% | ||
| No party | Beryl Billiot | 5,694 | 0.51% | ||
| Other | Jeremy Odom | 4,756 | 0.43% | ||
| Other | Eric Paul Orgeron | 2,248 | 0.20% | ||
| Total | 1,114,336 | 100% | |||
| Runoff | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Democratic | John Bel Edwards | 646,924 | 56.1% | ||
| Republican | David Vitter | 505,940 | 43.9% | ||
| Total | 1,152,864 | 100% | |||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | |||||
| Blanket primary | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Democratic | John Bel Edwards(incumbent) | 625,970 | 46.59% | ||
| Republican | Eddie Rispone | 368,319 | 27.42% | ||
| Republican | Ralph Abraham | 317,149 | 23.61% | ||
| Democratic | Oscar Dantzler | 10,993 | 0.82% | ||
| Republican | Patrick Landry | 10,966 | 0.82% | ||
| Other | Gary Landrieu | 10,084 | 0.75% | ||
| Total | 1,343,481 | 100% | |||
| Runoff | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
| Democratic | John Bel Edwards(incumbent) | 774,469 | 51.3% | ||
| Republican | Eddie Rispone | 734,128 | 48.7% | ||
| Total | 1,508,597 | 100% | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
| Louisiana House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minority Leader of theLouisiana House of Representatives 2012–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Louisiana 2015,2019 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Louisiana 2016–2024 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former Governor | Order of precedence of the United States Within Louisiana | Succeeded byas Former Governor |
| Order of precedence of the United States Outside Louisiana | Succeeded byas Former Governor | |
