Runoff in La. governor’s race

Gov. Edwards failed to get more than 50% of the vote

The Louisiana governor’s race will be decided in a runoff next month after Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards failed to win an outright majority in Saturday’s primary, a boost for President Donald Trump and Republicans who have been eager for a one-on-one matchup.

Edwards, who is seeking a second term, needed to win more than 50% of the vote against five other candidates in the bipartisan primary. Edwards fell short by gaining just over 46% with nearly all the votes counted. He will face second-place finisher, conservative businessman Eddie Rispone, in a Nov. 16 runoff.

Rispone, a millionaire construction contractor, campaigned as an ardent Trump supporter and vowed to crack down on illegal immigration while bolstering the influence of Christian values.

Rispone, who poured more than $10 million of his own money into the race, narrowly edged past U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, a Republican, to claim his spot on the ballot, winning just under 28% of the vote with nearly all the votes counted. The outcome was good news for Trump and national Republicans, who had feared just a weeks ago that Edwards could win the election outright.

Trump did not endorse any of the Republican candidates, but the president traveled to Louisiana on Friday night to urge Republicans to vote for either Abraham or Rispone in the race. Trump also fired off more than a half-dozen tweets over the past week attacking Edwards, the only Democratic governor in the Deep South.

On Saturday night, Trump fired the first shots of the runoff election.

“The Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, has done a poor job. NOW HE IS IN A RUNOFF WITH A GREAT REPUBLICAN, @EddieRispone. Thank you,” Trump tweeted.