Campaign Literature Archive - Nov. 21, 2015 Louisiana Governor Runoff

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Oct. 24, 2015 Governor Primary and Nov. 21, 2015 Runoff

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Oct. 24, 2015 Blanket Primary

John Bel Edwards (D)	444,517	39.89%
David Vitter (R)	256,300	23.00%
Scott Angelle (R)	214,982	19.29%
Jay Dardenne (R)	166,656	14.96%
Others (5) C.Deaton (D) 11,763, S.L.Simpson (D) 7,420, B.Billiot (NP) 5,964, JW Odom (NP) 4,756, P.Orgeron (O) 2,248	32,151	< 1% each
	1,114,336

Registration: 2,894,469. Total voted: 1,134,727.

Nov. 21, 2015 Runoff

+John Bel Edwards (D)	646,924	56.11%
David Vitter (R)	505,940	43.89%
	1,152,864

Registration: 2,900,506. Total Voted: 1,165,800.
Plurality: 140,984 votes (12.23 percentage points).

LA Secretary of State

DEMOCRATIC PICK-UP
Notes: Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) was term-limited and unpopular (>). The drop in oil prices over several years (>) created considerable challenges for the Bayou state, but beyond that Jindal was out of state frequently in 2014-15 as he sought the 2016 Republican presidential nomination (>). On Feb. 23, 2015 The Advocate (Baton Rouge) reported that Jindal had "spent about 165 days — or 45 percent — of 2014 in places other than Louisiana." Jindal formally announced his presidential campaign on June 24, 2015; he failed to achieved traction and suspended the campaign on Nov. 17.

Only one major Democratic candidate, Louisiana House Minority Leader John Bel Edwards (D), entered the race to succeed Jindal. During the course of Feb. 2013 radio interview Edwards said he intended to run for governor in 2015 as the state was "heading in the wrong direction (>)." An attorney, Edwards was first elected to the Louisiana House in 2007. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army for eight years after graduating from West Point and hails from Amite in the southeast.

The field of candidates included three prominent Republicans. U.S. Sen. David Vitter, elected to the Senate in 2004 after serving in the U.S. House and the Louisiana House, had the dubious distinction of having been caught up in the D.C. Madam prostitution scandal in 2007; he announced on Jan. 21, 2014. Scott Angelle, a member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, had also served six months as lieutenant governor; he announced on Oct. 2, 2014. Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne had been Louisiana secretary of state before being elected to his position in a Nov. 2010 special election; he announced on Apr. 6, 2015 (>).

The major candidates participated in many forums and televised debates in advance of the Oct. 24 blanket primary (>), although Vitter, seen as the leading Republican, skipped a lot of these citing work in Washington.

All told nine candidates competed in the Oct. 24 jungle primary. Edwards and Vitter advanced to the Nov. 21 runoff. The primary results were: Edwards (D) 444,517 (40%), Vitter (R) 256,300 (23%), Angelle (R) 214,982 (19%), Dardenne (R) 166,656 (15%) and one-percent or less Cary Deaton (D), S.L. Simpson (D), Beryl Billiot (No party), JW Odom (No party), and Paul Orgeron (Other).

A pivotal moment in the runoff occurred on Nov. 5 when Lt. Gov. Dardenne (R), the fourth place finisher in the primary, endorsed Edwards, describing him as "an honorable, pro-life, pro-gun Democrat who can build coalitions and whose values best reflect those of our great state" (>). Ultimately, Vitter never really escaped the prostitute scandal; on Nov. 6 the Edwards campaign released a TV ad charging that "David Vitter chose prostitutes over patriots." Edwards and Vitter engaged in one runoff debate in Baton Rouge on Nov. 10, hosted by Louisiana Public Broadcasting (>). Edwards charged Vitter would represent "a third Jindal term" and highlighted Vitter's poor attendance record in the Senate. In his closing statement, Vitter said that Edwards' campaign was "built on a myth that he's some sort of conservative."

Turnout in the Nov. 21, 2015 Runoff

Party	Qualified Voters	%	Voted	Turnout
Dem.	1,331,879	45.9%	599,334	45.0%
Rep.	816,062	28.1%	378,824	46.4%
Other	752,565	25.9%	187,642	24.9%
Total	2,900,506	100%	1,165,800	40.2%

Source: LA Secretary of State

The Shreveport Times reported that spending by the major candidate committees and PACs in the primary and runoff campaigns totaled $50 million (>).

Campaign Managers:
John Bel Edwards: Linda Day
Experience includes director of Louisiana Drug Policy and the Office of Drug Policy in the office of Louisiana Attorney General Richard Ieyoub (mid-1990s). President of the Louisiana Association of Educators, 1990-94. Teacher in Caddo Parish. Bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern State University.

David Vitter: Kyle Ruckert
(May 2015) Chief of staff to Rep. and then Sen. Vitter, May 2003-May 2015; started as legislative director to Vitter, June 1999-Apr. 2003. Senior advisor/Louisiana state director on Santorum for President, Feb.-Apr. 2012. Campaign manager on David Vitter for U.S. Senate in 2004 and 2010. Legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, Jan. 1997-1999. Staff assistant/intern to U.S. Rep. Bob Livingston, 1996. B.A. in political science, history from Tulane University, 1996.