Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards wins re-election in blow to Trump

Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards is projected to narrowly win a second term as Louisiana governor, beating Republican challenger Eddie Rispone by 1.4 percentage points and delivering another blow in off-cycle elections to President Donald Trump.

Edwards was up by over 19,000 votes with 96% of precincts reporting Saturday night, according to the Associated Press.

Edwards’ victory in a state that Trump carried in 2016 by nearly 20 percentage points highlights the limitations of nationalizing local races. Rispone, a wealthy businessman and long-time Republican donor, tied himself to Trump. He often railed against illegal immigrants on the campaign trail and portrayed Edwards as a “liberal, socialist-leaning governor.”

 

Via NBC

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