John Bel Edwards: Life, bio, re-election of conservative Democrat

• John Bel Edwards narrowly won re-election Saturday night by about 40,000 votes and became the first Democrat to do so as governor of Louisiana since 1975.
• Edwards defeated Eddie Rispone, an outsider candidate backed by President Donald Trump – the second Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate to lose in a red state in a month, after Kentucky’s governor race.
• As a conservative Democrat, Edwards has been controversial among his more progressive base. He is pro-life and pro-guns, and signed one of the most restrictive anti-abortion bills in 2019.
• The Louisiana gubernatorial race pitted a “common sense” moderate candidate against a Trump-adjacent wild card, and while the results were narrow, Edwards ultimately came out on top with a blended approach.
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A tightly contested race for governor of Louisiana ended in John Bel Edwards’ re-election late Saturday night, by about 40,000 votes. Edwards, a conservative Democrat, was challenged by an outsider backed by President Donald Trump.

Not only is Edwards a unique politician who strays from the Democratic party platform, but the Louisiana gubernatorial race, preceded by Kentucky’s earlier in November, suggests that Trump’s endorsement isn’t enough – even for Republican candidates in red states.